


It Must Be Magick

by hakkais_shadow, katamari



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Hackers, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, I promise we will eventually get to JJP, Kihyun is a bigger smartass, M/M, Magic, Tags Are Fun, Urban Fantasy, Wonho is a horndog, because we can, cameo by VIXX, changkyun is a smartass, did you really think Hyungwon wouldn't be an incubus?, how's about that pairing in the last chapter?, incubi have all the fun, jooheon is cute, nerd-losers are the best, why are we creating another AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-03-10 18:46:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 46,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13507590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakkais_shadow/pseuds/hakkais_shadow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/katamari/pseuds/katamari
Summary: All Changkyun wanted to do was summon a fire imp. Easy A, right?





	1. This Ain't no Barnes & Noble

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another AU because JJP is being a pain in the ass right now so we have slipped down the rabbit hole that is Monsta X. 
> 
> There will be pairings in this fic but they will be revealed as we go along. There will be smut and feelings and all that crap but not this chapter. Patience is a virtue, ya know ;)

Bookstores had really fallen out of fashion in the age of technology, with the shelves packed with dusty tomes being cleared out for board games and a Starbucks. The smaller ones remained hidden from the glossy exteriors, their handpainted signboards and cobwebbed windows showing their age and invited passerby to keep on walking - there were no DVDs here, no coffee shops. Just books - and still, one in particular that managed to survive, tucked away from the crowds, its only entrance in an alley.

 

The boy who stumbled through the darkened alley was just that - a boy.  His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie, the hood itself pulled up to cover most of his face. Only a few stray strands of sandy hair escaped, his profile somewhat aqualine. He didn't look side to side but instead moved with a purpose, stopping only at the very small bookshop and taking a deep breath before he entered.

 

"We don't have Harry Potter," the clerk greeted, not looking up from his book. "Or movies. Or a Starbucks. Have a nice day."

 

"No Harry Potter, huh?" the voice did not fit the slim, boyish figure who had just entered the shop. It was low and resonant, like puberty decided to make up for what it hadn't done to the kid's body. "Then how about Jameson's Theories of Transmutation or Minari's Summoning a Demon - Safety and Security? And just for the record, Starbucks is overrated garbage."

 

The man looked up, startled. An actual customer? What was that nonsense? He pushed his glasses up his nose, studying the newcomer carefully. "Got them both, but I wouldn't recommend summoning a demon, even if it is for your thesis."

 

The boy shrugged. "It can be done safely and Professor Ignatius is expecting something extraordinary. He's an asshole."

 

"So are demons when you can't banish them back. Why not just bring in some rare creature or something? Tattoo shop down the street's  got a couple of really crazy things."

 

"I'll think about it," the boy replied. "In the meantime I'd like both books, please."

 

"Take a look around. Jameson's is in the Alchemy section, Minari's is in the Really Stupid Shit section."

 

"How judgmental of you," the younger man said calmly. "I would think that a discussion of safety when considering even the subject of summoning would be taken more seriously. It's been highly rated and not taken lightly."

 

He silently rolled up his sleeves, showing the multitude of burn marks and deep scars of what looked like claws. "I followed the instructions, too."

 

The younger man pulled his hands out of his pockets and displayed his own scars (although none were made by claws). "Anyone who is or has been a student has these, mister." He passed the clerk and headed to the Alchemy section.

 

The clerk rolled his sleeves back down and returned to his book, occasionally keeping an eye on the customer - the tags were faded and yellowed after years of use, and could be hard to read - not to mention he never really liked keeping a logical order when it came to his categories.

 

The boy looked for a bit, then rolled his eyes and sighed. He briefly closed his eyes and murmured a tracking spell, the air vibrating with the slight magic.

 

"Creative," the clerk commented, then suddenly tilted his head to the left, casting a quick negation ward without saying a word. "But not here. There's far too much to discover."

 

The student frowned. "So you don't want to make a sale? For talking so much about stupid shit you aren't very smart yourself, are you?"

 

"Best way to make a sale is to have the customer look around. This may work at your university library...but here, you need to seek out the magic."

 

"No, the best way to make a sale is to tell the customer where the book they are looking for is," the sandy-haired young man murmured. "It's called customer service. That gets you further than existential bullshit."

 

"I did tell you exactly where to look --this is a bookstore, I'm not Google, and I kind of have a monopoly on actual useful knowledge."

 

"Your idea of actual useful knowledge and mine are completely different." The younger man pulled out a sheet of paper from  his pocket and scanned the words. "I guess I can head to the next bookshop on the list. They will likely be more 'useful' than you have been. Park's isn't far from here.... have a nice day." And with that he turned to leave. Jooheon had been wrong about this place...

 

"Park's doesn't have any demonology books," the man said, not looking up. "Franchising out, you know. Going to be a Libro."

 

"But they do have the Jameson....and I can figure out the Summoning on my own or ask them who else has the Minari. Thanks anyways."

 

The older man smirked. "I'll see you in an hour, then."

 

"Nope," the other replied. "If you ever decide you'd like to help customers and not be a total dickhead you can find me on campus. Just ask for I.M...they might tell you where I am..." And with that he was gone, door closing behind him. Off to Park's - at least for the Jameson. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd figure out the Summoning himself. He wasn't the top of the class for nothing.

 

The man sighed and readjusted his glasses, going back to his heavy spell tome. Another cocksure university kid, hellbent on raising the dead or whatever the trend was this year. He'd be back within the hour for both -- the bookstores were dying out, but his was always the same.

 

"Jameson..." The woman at the counter hummed, checking her computer. "Emma Jameson, right? Mystery novels are to your left, near the back wall."

 

Changkyun sighed. "No. Hadsworth Jameson. Totally different author. It said you had the book when I looked online last night."

 

"I'm sorry sir, our online system is a bit outdated." The woman bowed in apology. "We're in the midst of a changeover..." She gestured to the magic section, which was nearly picked clean (and a sign hung overhead proudly announcing the new Starbucks that would be in that spot.)

 

"Fuck," the young man said under his breath. He'd have to figure it out on his own. He certainly wasn't going back to *that* shop...

 

"If you'd like, I can place a call to a nearby shop, and they'll be happy to pull it for you," she offered.

 

"Trust me, he won't," Changkyun muttered. "Thanks though."

 

The young woman bowed deeply. "Terribly sorry, sir. The arcane is moving out of fashion, I'm afraid."

 

"Too bad it fuels all of your technology, huh?"

 

"Sir, electronics are fueled by science."

 

Changkyun smirked as he turned away. "And science is fueled by magic."

 

She smiled again. "Let me make that call." Her voice was quiet as she spoke on the phone, but seemed to get the information that she needed. "Sir, are you familiar with Imugi Books? They said it's in stock and they'll be happy to pull it for you."

 

"Yeah, I'm familiar with them."

 

"They're open until ten, if you'd like to go there to make your purchases."

 

"Oh, I am sure it will be that easy," the boy muttered, then offered a smile to the woman that softened his fox-like face slightly. "Thank you for your help, miss."

 

"Please come again!" She bowed once more, secretly glad that they were moving out of the arcane business...there was always something off about those patrons.

 

Changkyun sighed and made his way back to the first shop. He really didn't need to see that smug asshole's face again....

 

"Welcome back," the same voice called out, again not needing to look up. "Decided not to strike out all on your own?"

 

"I was told you would have a book I requested pulled and ready for me," the younger man said blandly.

 

"Right...about that." The man wordlessly tilted his head again, the books quickly flying from their places on the shelves and onto his desk. "Pulled."

 

"And why was this so difficult before?"

 

"Because it's fun to screw with children."

 

Changkyun arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. He pulled out his wallet and took out the appropriate currency (fortunately the wallet was charmed to keep mundane and arcane bills separate). "That should be enough."

 

"And your soul." The man turned a page. "Better sell it to me than a demon. At least I can put you to work that doesn't involve being degloved."

 

Changkyun scoffed. "Yeah, right......listen, stop acting like you know everything. You aren't *that* much older than I am. You don't know everything."

 

"You're forgetting the first rule they taught you, kid."

 

"I'd sense if you were centuries older than me," Changkyun said with a sigh. "Seeing isn't always believing but there are some things that are truths, mister."

 

The man shook his head as he finally took Changkyun's bills. He banged at an old-fashioned register - that and the Victorian-era telephone on the wall being the very few signs of anything slightly modern inside. "You young mages..."

 

"Keep going.....tell me that I don't know what it's like to have it rough, that I don't appreciate what others have done for me, that I'm naive and stupid. Keep going. I've heard it all before. You don't know me or my history..." He was so tired of it - and the weariness in his eyes was proof.

  
  


"...Are terrible at guessing ages," he finished, leaving it at that.

:

"Fine....you are ancient and all knowing and all that bullshit. Really helped keep the arcane alive, didn't it? That's why I have to go to back alleys to find what I need unless I want a Frapuccino..."

 

"You'd come to the back alleys anyway, wouldn't you, Changkyun?"

 

The younger man frowned. "Stop acting like you know me."

:

"Oh right, you're all so obsessed with propriety. Changkyun-sshi."

 

"You know that's not what I meant," Changkyun said with sigh. He pushed the money towards the older man. "Just take this and I'll leave you alone. You won't have to worry about my young, uninformed ass again."

:

"Right. See you Tuesday, then."

 

"No, actually you won't," the younger man said quietly, some of his bravado gone. He was tired of being treated like this by older mages. He *was* smarter than most - and younger than the rest of his class. He'd find some other way to get the information he needed - and if that meant he summoned a demon on his own, then so be it.

 

~ _jfc, how long does it take to get a book?_ ~ Jooheon texted. ~ _That shop's so cool, isn't it?~_

 

~ _I'm done and I'm not coming back_.~

 

~ _Wow, seriously? You don't want to learn from - **the** \- Yoo Kihyun_?~

 

~ _I don't give a shit who he is. I'm tired of being treated like I don't matter._ ~ Yes, the name was familiar but that didn't change how he felt.

 

~ _He's a fucking archmage, dude! Only one who can cast magic without words! Nice guy, too.~_

 

Changkyun grew pale but his stance didn't waver. ~ _Nice to you maybe. He's a dick to me. You can come back next time. I'm done_.~

 

~ _And you want to do that crazy demon stuff, right? He summoned Nybbas...and lived to tell about it._ ~

 

Changkyun swallowed and glanced up at the clerk - the _archmage_  - eyes drifting down to the scars on his wrists. ~ _Well, he doesn't give a shit about me and the feeling is mutual.~_ With a nod and a quiet 'thank you' the young mage took his books and turned to leave.

 

"Til Tuesday," Kihyun murmured, watching the boy leave. He already knew how it would play out - he'd need some sigil or another, or tools, or find that Minari didn't provide all of the instructions for safety reasons. He'd try again to dissuade him, hoping that just maybe, he'd snap out of it.

 

~ _Probably means he could take you as a student._ ~

 

Changkyun shook his head as he left. ~ _Not likely._ ~

 

~ _Suuuuch a pessimist. You coming up tonight for incantation study?_ ~

 

Changkyun offered a slight smile as he looked down at his phone. ~ _Yeah….someone needs to make sure you idiots don’t mess everything up too badly._ ~

 

~ _I wonder who ended up summoning a frogurt instead of a frog last week..._ ~

 

~ _Probably someone whose name ends in -heon.~_

 

~ _Funny, it's someone whose name ends in -kyun who always gets the rainbow sprinkles that the frogurt had..._ ~

 

~ _Except that you are transferring your own tendencies onto someone else, Jooheonnie. Who has the highest grade in this class?_ ~

 

~ _Don't look at me, I only track my own._ ~

 

~ _Liar._ ~

 

~ _Heeeey, in the end I'm only competing against myself, right?_ ~

 

~ _Sure.....you say that now but who is always looking over my shoulder?_ ~ Changkyun smiled as he continued down the alley, ignoring the dark corners and strange scents.

 

~ _Me? Hey, it's easier than borrowing your notes after class._ ~

 

Kihyun locked up his shop, still quietly preoccupied with his encounter just before closing. Another young mage, risking his life to show off...he'd be trying his best to stop it, from afar (nothing to do with that university, ever again, he vowed.) A figure ahead caught his eye - the young Changkyun, seemingly preoccupied with his phone and not with his surroundings. Didn't he know how dangerous the district became at night?

 

~ _Like I'd let you do that._ ~ Changkyun sent with a genuine smile that made his face brighten. There wasn't much that did that but Lee Jooheon was one of the few. Changkyun wasn't one of the legacies, those born into wealthy magic-infused families. As far as he knew his parents hadn't known anything about magic. Of course he didn't know much about his parents either. He was dumped off at one of the government-run orphanages when he was small and he never had that "You're a wizard, Harry" moment. Nope, the discovery of his ability took place in 7th grade science class when he nearly set the teacher on fire. He'd pretty much been on his own since, hacking into school records in high school so that he could graduate early and get into University (with the help of a few selective transfers of funds from some who would never miss the small amount.)

 

No, there was very little Im Changkyun feared. After all, it couldn't get much worse than he'd already had it...

 

~ _So I peek at your notes and you get my frogurt failures. Win-win!_ ~

 

There it was. Out of the corner of his eye, Kihyun could see it watching the young mage. Shades were common, usually banishable in controlled situations by students, under the watchful eye of a more skilled practitioner. He could see Changkyun draw closer, still tapping on his phone, and held his breath. Shades were generally harmless, but at this time of night, with no general humans around…

 

Changkyun chuckled. ~ _That’s not how it works, Jooheonnie_ ~. He meant to add more but stopped as he felt a stillness in the air that was different than a moment ago. He looked around, eyes narrowing as he hummed a ward of protection. (That set him apart from others his age who would have jumped first, then thought of protection). Something still wasn’t right…

 

~ _That's totally how it works,_ ~ Jooheon insisted. ~ _The store isn't THAT far away, bro. What's going on?_ ~

 

Kihyun nodded, the ward and his reaction were satisfactory, better than what he would normally expect from an upperclassman--even they still forgot to cast sometimes. He still needed to focus, needed to remember all his incantations as the shade reached out, its claws easily slicing through the outer reaches of the ward.

 

Changkyun didn’t have time to answer as he threw up another ward, his incantations coming swiftly in that low voice even as he fought off the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He staggered back against the wall as the _thing_  tore apart his first ward and threatened the second.

 

That was it, Kihyun couldn't stand back and let the kid be shredded. No matter how good he was, shades in uncontrolled situations were strong and unpredictable -- this Changhyun didn't deserve to be bleeding out on the street thanks to an angry shade trying to reclaim its territory. He strode forward, quickly past the two, only having to thrust his hand out before the shade howled and disappeared into a fine mist.

 

Changkyun had begun to shiver as he felt a vice-like grip around him, his seconds ward crumbling like tissue paper. Suddenly he could breathe again, the cold gone and the alley not quite as dark. He sank back against the nearest wall, his breaths coming in rapid gulps of air.

 

Kihyun waited until he was certain that there were no other creatures lurking about that caused harm to humans; this must have been a rogue creature escaped from the university. "See you Tuesday."

 

The young mage looked up and finally recognized the clerk - the _archmage_. "Why?" was all he said, still stunned from what had happened.

 

Kihyun paused mid-stride. "Why what?"

 

"Why did you stop?" came the honest, quiet answer. No one did anything for Im Changkyun. He was no one and everything he had ever managed to do to succeed he had done for himself, no help from anyone.

 

"Being a headstrong, overly ambitious student is irritating, but no crime. I was not going to let you become shade food to prove some silly point about shooting too high."

 

“No one would have missed me….except perhaps Jooheon,” Changkyun replied bitterly. “Why are you so certain I will be at the shop on Tuesday?”

 

All mages went through it, Kihyun remembered, biting back a comment about being a little too old for his angsty teenager phase. "You'll see. Study hard, you'll need it for Tuesday."

 

The younger man shook his head - it was no use arguing with someone who evidently thought he was always right. Of course, getting as old as Kihyun was could make you lose your wits. _Pickle your brain with magic. Thank god that probably won’t happen to me._

 

He paused as he turned away, a muttered word so faint it could barely be heard slipping past his lips as he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up.

 

“Thanks.”

 

"Thank me by not going through with the summoning. A shade ripped through two wards like tissue paper. Think of what a demon could do." With that, Kihyun resumed walking, disappearing into a separate alley.

 

“You don’t understand…” Changkyun murmured as the other disappeared. “Sometimes you have to do the impossible.” That was the last the boy said before he left the alley himself, a little colder and a little more cautious than he had been only moments before.


	2. Riddle Me This

"I think I need to tweak this incantation," Jooheon commented after Tuesday's classes had concluded. "I'm pretty good with wards, but something about this new one's a little brittle to me...possibly the sigil." Jooheon may have been from one of the more old magic families, but the easygoing man had enjoyed slacking off and playing hooky from intensive magic lessons after his regular schooling, and his grades and performances had suffered for it. He had gotten more serious once he entered university (under threats of disownment), but still had a mound of work ahead of him.

 

Changkyun looked over the other’s work and gave a brief nod. “You need a _Sigma_  here instead of an _Epsilon_ ,” he pointed out and gestured at the particular phrase to which he was referring. “That’s going to make the incantation more stable.” It was uncanny - sometimes the younger student could just _see_  what would work best as if it was instinct, whether it be in front of a computer screen or on ink-stained parchment.

  
  


"Yeah, you can tell who fell asleep in Greek," Jooheon cracked before making the correction in his notes. "Thanks, man. How's your project coming?"

  
  


Changkyun shrugged. “Going okay. Minari is a bit esoteric sometimes. You have to search for the meaning behind some of his phrases. ‘Those from the beyond seek flesh and soul, but not as you first expect.’ Sounds like a lot of rubbish…”

  
  


"Are you trying to raise a succubus or something? Ignatius would probably fucking love that." Jooheon stretched. "Me, I'm doing research at the tattoo shop."

  
  


“Not hardly,” the younger man scoffed. “Those are supposed to be the most difficult and only respond to casters with the highest inner magic, not no-names like me. I just want a standard fire imp or djinn. Summoning any type of demon would impress Ignatius.”

  
  


"I still think you're crazy, you know? I mean, you even said you can barely figure out that book. Why don't you come down to the shop with me? The artist is stupid powerful."

  
  


Changkyun shook his head. “I know about Hakyeon’s shop. Helped them install their security system last year. The guys there are cool but it isn’t the kind of magic I’m interested in.”

 

"Why are you so interested in the demons, anyway? They'll do worse than kill you."

 

The younger man shrugged. “Dunno….I’ve just always been interested in them, even when I was a kid.”

 

Jooheon shook his head. "We've got some crazy hyungs there, and yet you'd rather get yourself killed."

 

Changkyun rolled his eyes. “I’ve already heard this enough, hyung. Just let me do my thing. I’ll be fine.”

 

"All I'm saying is you're really going to need an archmage."

 

The younger man sighed. “That asshole said he’d see me on Tuesday as if he was expecting me back at his shop.”

 

"He's not the only archmage, but from all accounts..." Jooheon paused. "Well, it's Tuesday. Any pressing need to go to the shop?"

 

Changkyun blinked. Had the week gone by that fast? “Um…..no, I don’t think so.”

  
  


"If you're going back to the dorms,then I'm headed out. I promised Hakyeon-hyung I'd walk his dog." Jooheon rolled his eyes.

 

"Yeah, he's cool. No fleas either," Changkyun said with a grin. Leo was cool in that "don't talk to me" kind of way. He waved at Jooheon as he left for the dorms....but his feet took him in a different direction.

  
  


Imugi remained as quiet as ever, the dark store windows and lack of activity tricking pedestrians into thinking that it was closed--which was how Kihyun preferred it. He only needed the serious customers in his shop, and they always knew when he held business.

  
  


Changkyun entered as if in a daze, snapping to only when the door closed behind him. He blinked multiple times, shaking his head as if to clear it. “What the hell…”

  
  


“That's what you're trying to raise, but it's not here," Kihyun answered, the man carefully trying to repair a typewriter.

 

“The ribbon vibrator is busted,” Changkyun murmured as he approached and  looked over the archmage’s shoulder. “You can’t keep the ribbon in place without it.”

 

"Right, I'm just trying to save myself a visit to the antique shop." Kihyun frowned, still looking for other solutions. "So. What brings you here again?"

 

“I…..really don’t know,” Changkyun admitted with a frown. “I was walking back to the dorms and the next thing I know I’m here.”

  
  


"Because it's Tuesday, as I said before." He peered at the vibrator, trying to pinpoint the source of the break. "Damned thing. Appears you've had no luck in your little demon game."

  
  


Changkyun reached over and made a few adjustments, the ribbon vibrator locking back into place. “I’ve had other schoolwork to do. I’ll figure it out without your help.”

  
  


Kihyun eyed the younger warily, then slipped in a fresh sheet of paper to test his typewriter again--the most recent bit of technology in his shop. "Jameson's written the most thorough texts on transmutation, even if they're over three hundred years old."

  
  


“Yes, it’s good….although a bit dry,” Changkyun said with a nod. “Much more straight forward than Minari.”

 

Kihyun muttered his thanks once his typewriter made a satisfying click. "Minari is incredibly straightforward. He had the good sense to leave out critical details as well." He started to type, slowly pecking at his board with two fingers.

 

The younger man rolled his eyes and sighed, both at the other’s words and his typing skills. “Why am I not surprised to hear you say that?”

  
  


"Because you're here seeking the answer to the puzzles he left, naturally," Kihyun replied absently. Typing was slow and painful, why did people like it so much?

  
  


“I’ll figure it out…” Changkyun swore softly to himself. “And you should take a class. Makes typing easier.”

 

“What's the first one?" Kihyun asked. "There is no need for classes, this technology fad will be over soon enough."

  
  


"First what?" Changkyun asked in confusion. "And tech isn't going away anytime soon, mister."

 

"The first puzzle that you're bothered with, young mage." Kihyun typed furiously--as furiously as anyone could, with two fingers.

 

The younger mage frowned. "Why do you ask? You aren't going to help me anyway."

 

"So I can see how far you got before your stumbling block, naturally--and to see if you know what's missing."

 

Changkyun muttered the first riddle and his answer, sure the other was simply mocking him yet again..

 

"That's the Gatekeeper's Riddle, I hope you'd solve that one." Kihyun groaned and backtracked on his typewriter, leaving a trail of crossed-out mess. "Next one."

 

The younger man recited the next Riddle, that of the Time Turner, and his answer, which was again correct. For as much as Changkyun was young and stubborn he was also very thoughtful and intuitive.

 

"Keep going, I'll stop you when you're incorrect--this damned toy!" Kihyun slammed the ribbon back, clearly annoyed.

 

"I can help you with that...." Changkyun offered. "The office at the orphanage had one just like it."

 

"That's a strange riddle," he said, still vexed with the machine. He had only gotten it because Hakyeon had told him to get with the times, that he was acting like an old man.

 

:

"Here," Changkyun nudged the older man gently aside and fiddled with the ancient typewriter, making a few adjustments and testing it. "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog," he muttered to himself, then smiled as the words appeared on paper just as he had typed them with a pleasant click of the keys and a happy 'ding' when he moved to the next paragraph. "Should be set just fine for you now."

  
  


"Good, I'll mail that off to Hakyeon and he can stop annoying me. He keeps bothering me for a text." Kihyun went back to slowly pecking out the rest of his message. "Did you get stuck at the Traveler?"

 

Changkyun shook his head. "No, the Traveler doesn't move with his feet but rather with his mind. It gives him more freedom than walking ever will."

 

"Partial credit. You've touched the surface of Traveler, but this is where the information becomes harder to grasp."

 

“It’s multilayered, isn’t it? Both literally and metaphorically,” Changkyun mused. “The paper in the book is thicker when that section starts so something is different physically.”

 

"So how do you reveal without destroying it?"

 

"You cannot use water, it would ruin the pages. Same with fire," the young mage reasoned out loud. Earth would be too...." he shook his head, ending the thought before he could continue. "No, it has to be wind...."

 

"Or light, or darkness. Minari doesn't deal with just four elements."

 

"Or perhaps a combination," Changkyun continued enthusiastically. "Wind and darkness..."

 

"So to break this seal, you should..." Kihyun prompted. He still detested what Changkyun was doing, but the young mage's intellect was impressing him.

 

Changkyun took a deep breath and focused. While he couldn't perform magic unspoken like the archmage his words were soft and low as he held out his hand, a sphere of dark energy forming in his palm.

 

Kihyun's sharp gaze turned to the boy, carefully identifying the spell (he did have a vested interest in any destructive magic being unleashed in his shop). Still, he could control it, and keep it low-impact. There was no need for his intervention yet.

 

A few more spoken words and he gestured at the book that had somehow left his backpack and was now opened in front of them. The delicate globe of darkness floated towards the open book and then with a slight ‘pop’ burst, scattering filaments of inky blackness over the pages - which now separated and revealed new writings. Unbeknownst to Changkyun these actions were beyond what a mage of his experience was supposed to be able to do.

 

"How long have you been casting dark spells?" Kihyun asked, the man abandoning his typewriter to peer at his work.

 

Changkyun shrugged. “It’s not really casting dark spells though…..I just found that I have an affinity for shadows and it’s easy energy to work with. I never take too much…”

 

"Explains why that shade was so hungry," Kihyun murmured. "A young mage playing with an energy he doesn't understand all the nuances of..."

 

The younger man frowned. “And I’m sure you know everything about it…Of course, Jooheon thinks you do. He’s never been the smartest tool in the shed although he is a great guy.”

 

"Thinking you know everything about the different energies was the first mistake I made," he said shortly.

 

“I’ve never said I thought I knew everything about energies - or anything, for that matter. I want to learn everything I can…”

 

"Then you've got a new pattern to figure out." Kihyun pointed to the intricate scrawls and swirls in an infernal script, the pattern unlike one found in any textbook.

 

Changkyun leaned forward, bringing himself closer to the archmage as he studied the pattern, his dark eyes sparkling with interest. Nothing fascinated the young mage more than a mystery.

 

Kihyun quietly retreated, knowing the intricate spirals well. It was a language he had studied for years in order to call arch-demons, and he was one of the few humans to be able to read and write in it. He had no reason to see the same thing that haunted his nightmares.

 

Changkyun didn’t realize that several hours had passed until he felt the shadows grow and the room darken. He looked up, blinking slowly. _3 hours?_

 

Kihyun had, by that time, triumphantly finished his 'text' to Hakyeon and was busying himself finding a stamp. The room was now lit by the soft glow of gas lamps, the archmage preferring those over the overheads once it grew dark outside.

 

The younger mage stretched his arms over his head, easing the kinks out of his neck with a soft groan. “I should get out of here….”

 

"Demons don't sleep, why are you?"

 

“Because I’m not a demon…obviously,” Changkyun replied. “Just a loner hacker kid who has a bit of talent when it comes to magic.”

 

"Then instead of summoning, you should master banishing. It's much more useful."

  
  


“I want to learn to summon first,” he said simply. He picked up the book and stuffed it back into his bag. “I’ll look at this more later tonight.”

 

Kihyun stopped looking for the stamp - he could just hand deliver it, the shop wasn't that far. "Where are you planning to summon this demon?"

 

“Not until I’ve read through all of the book and understand it,” Changkyun replied. “It’s going to probably be at least a week.”

 

Kihyun held back a scoff - the kid was smart, but Minari was esoteric to a degree that archmages beyond him were still poring over. The ritual itself was simple, but binding, controlling, and banishing a demon was an entirely different beast all together. Safety book, his ass. "Where?"

 

“I’m not sure yet. Has to be a place with strong wards so that if things go wrong the demon can’t escape and hurt anyone else.”

 

"Ignatius's power is quite low. You'll need more than a few wards."

 

Changkyun nodded. “Professor Ignatius is an idiot….a pompous idiot.” He looked around the shop. “Do you have a secure room?”

 

"An idiot impressed by a few sparkles." The older man frowned thoughtfully. "I have several secure areas. That does not mean I want a demon in them."

 

“Then I will learn to banish the demon before summoning it,” Changkyun promised, no smugness in his voice.

 

"Good. That's the only useful skill for those damned things."

 

Changkyun finished backing up his bag and leaned against the door, his hand on the doorknob. “So I’m assuming you have summoned a demon and that it was a bad experience.”

 

"Because I was a university student once, with professors I thought I could impress. I was quite lucky to send the demons back where they belong."

 

“So you understand why I need to do this…” There was determination in the younger man’s voice.

 

"No, I understand why it's a terrible idea. Talent does not always equal common sense." Kihyun sounded tired. "I know it's in the textbooks about my encounter with Nybbas. Yes, he is the fool--but is also an extremely high level demon."

 

Changkyun shook his head. “I have no delusions of grandeur, mister. I don’t want to summon a high level. I just want to summon a fire imp or djinn.”

 

"Even a fire imp can break wards with a bit of effort--and with a first-time summon, you never know just who you're pulling out from the ether."

 

“Then would you back me up?” Changkyun asked hopefully. “I trust you.”

 

Kihyun paused. "Your professor would most likely not permit me to be in your examination."

 

“I think if I asked him he would let you be my evaluator….Ignatius is a coward at heart but I’ve heard him speak highly of you.”

 

"That would be a first," the archmage said dryly. "He also should have told you I refuse to have anything to do with the university."

 

The younger man looked at the archmage in confusion. “Why?”

 

"A classmate of mine was killed--a good friend. He wanted something fantastical for his thesis, but went the opposite route. His goal was summoning an angel. I'm sure you're aware of the consequences of that backfiring."

 

The color drained from Changkyun’s face as he heard the other’s reasoning. Sure, summoning a demon was difficult and yes, dangerous - but an angel? Impossible and the thought of what would happen if the caster failed sent a shiver down the younger mage’s spine.

 

"I was his second," Kihyun continued. "I witnessed the entire thing, and begged, petitioned, convinced the board to have a meeting with me. I wanted to regulate the summoning of fantastical creatures by students. Request denied."

 

“No one ever summons anything more than pixies or bogarts now,” Changkyun murmured, still feeling cold. “I think I’m the first to even consider summoning a demon in the past 5 years and I just want one of the lower levels. No Nybbas for me.”

 

"No angels, no demons, nothing. I'm more than witness to what unsuccessful- and successful- summoning can cause."Kihyun sighed heavily. "This is why I have nothing to do with them."

 

“I’m still going to try, with or without your help. I have to,” Changkyun said quietly as he opened the door. “Thank you for your help, sir…..and I’m sorry about your friend..”

 

"A mage does not _have_  to do anything." Kihyun started to turn off the lamps, surprisingly choosing not to magic them off. "A demon summoning is not a life or death situation."

 

“For you it isn’t,” Changkyun replied. “I’m not you.” He didn’t add that there was something compelling him to take this risk, something deep inside. When he said he _had_  to do it, he wasn’t being dramatic.

 

"If you plan to be that stupid, then tell Ignatius I'll evaluate," he suddenly blurted on impulse. "At least I know how to banish...and clean up the mess."

  
  


“Thank you, Kihyun-sshi,” Changkyun said softly, for the first time addressing him formally.

  
  


"Get some rest, hopefully you'll have better judgement in the morning." He brandished his letter. "I have a text to send to Hakyeon. He said it was faster than a phone call."

 

Changkyun bit back a smile. “I can take it to the shop for you if you’d like,” he offered.

  
  


Kihyun handed him the letter, proud that he managed to type it all up. "He did say send, not deliver. I still have no idea why he likes this."

 

“Remind me to show you an easier way to do this another time, Kihyun-sshi,” Changkyun said with a grin. He knew Hakyeon would get a kick out of this...

 

"If it's pick up the phone, I know how to do that." Kihyun's phone was another antique monstrosity, forced onto him by Hakyeon.

 

“No, I’ll figure out something better,” Changkyun promised, already thinking of ways to combine tech and magic to Kihyun’s satisfaction.

 

Kihyun stepped out of his shop, waiting for Changkyun to slip out. "If you survive."

 

Changkyun followed, his stance stubborn. “I will.”

 

The older man locked the door, looking at his shop. "We'll see."

 

The younger mage met Kihyun’s eyes without fear. “Yes, we will.”

  
  



	3. Wish I May, Wish I Might

"Archmage Yoo Kihyun?" Ignatius squinted at the paper that Changkyun had just handed him in disbelief. It had been ages since Kihyun had anything to do with the university, not after the summoning incident. "An archmage is fine for an evaluator, but Yoo Kihyun? I do know several who would be glad to evaluate you."

 

“He said that he would do it, Professor,” Changkyun said blandly, meeting the older man in the eye. “I trust him.”

 

"He's quite young for an archmage..." he said thoughtfully. "And quite against summoning, as you know. That poor friend of his. That was before my time, you understand.'

 

Changkyun frowned. “But you said last semester that you had been here for the last 50 years…” The younger man shook his head. “Anyways, with him being against summoning he’ll be extra cautious to make sure I don’t fuck….I mean mess up.”

 

"Language, that isn't fitting of an aspiring mage." The older man studied the paperwork again before signing his name to the project. "There's also still time to change your mind, if you wish. Archmage Yoo may summon demons, but you're not an archmage."

 

“Neither are you,” Changkyun muttered to himself, taking the papers with a slight bow. He already knew that some of the spells taught came easier to him than to Ignatius but figured it would make any difference if he mentioned that fact to the older man. Of course, Ignatius was very set in his ways, which wasn’t a good thing in a world where magic now took a backseat to technology.

 

Ignatius waved the young man out and started to shuffle the papers around in his desk. He knew he had the forms somewhere, the old incident reports...blast, what was that young mage's name?

 

Changkyun threw the papers in his backpack and headed back to the library. He had almost completely deciphered the Minari and felt that he had a good grasp of the riddles. He’d had to take a break to help a friend hack into the school’s computer system to fix a perceived “too-low” grade (he swore to himself he’d never owe Jungkook a thing again. They were even now) but that had actually been a good thing and helped clear his mind. He’d found the right spell for summoning a fire imp. “Hotter than hot…in thoughts and deeds,” he murmured to himself, part of the spell coming easily now.

 

The top of Jooheon's newly bleached hair was barely visible under the massive stack of books he had in front of him, balancing them with his laptop and field notes. Sure, studying the tattoo shop was fun, but it came with a lot more risk than he had expected.

 

“What the hell happened to you?” Changkyun murmured in surprise as he approached the table. “Were you attacked by a rogue bleach bottle?”

 

"Jongdae-hyung," Jooheon muttered. "Never make a bet with a sidhe, they always win." He rapidly typed in some of his notes, trying to get the correct wording. "He made a bet that I would flinch..."

 

The younger man snorted in amusement as he sat down. “Hyung, you flinch at bugs….you were never going to win.”

 

"I only did it because he's been super helpful, surprisingly." Jooheon frowned. "I thought it looked good."

 

Changkyun’s expression softened as he sensed the other’s disappointment. “It does, hyung. I could never pull it off but you definitely can.”

 

"Bet you could, if you style it right...anyway, enough about my hair. Did you get permission?"

 

Changkyun nodded, pulling the papers out of his backpack with a flourish. “Yep...Ignatius wasn’t so happy that Kihyun-sshi was going to monitor me but he didn’t say no.”

 

"You are really nuts, dude....I mean, what if something worse than a fire imp shows?"

 

The younger man shrugged. “I’m taking precautions. The worst that can happen is a djinn shows instead of an imp. It shouldn’t be a problem. Kihyun-sshi said he would make sure I didn’t fuck everything up since I was so determined to do it.”

 

Jooheon pulled a book off of his stack and passed it to his friend. "I grabbed this, figured you might find it useful. It's not Minari, but it's more about creating security wards."

 

“You really don’t think I can do this, do you?” Changkyun murmured, even as he took the book.

 

"I think you could use as much protection as you can get. Haven't you read any of the accounts of demon summoning? There are a bunch in here."

 

Changkyun sighed. “Yeah, I’ve read them. That’s why I’m being careful.” He paused, finally looking up at Jooheon, his expression both lost and determined. “I have to do this.”

 

"I'm not telling you not to do it," Jooheon insisted. "I know you, you're the most stubborn person I know. But it doesn't hurt to be as careful as you can, you know?"

 

“I know…..thanks for caring, hyung,” he murmured. ‘You are one of only a few and I appreciate it.”

 

"You know you can go down to the shop and hyung will do a ward for you for free, right? Well not free, but it's not like working there is that tough."

 

“They barely know me there, hyung. I can’t impose on them like that.” Changkyun had always been independent out of necessity and now was no different.

 

He flinched. "Well, damn. Guess it's gotta be me, then..."

 

The other looked at him, confused. “Gotta be you what, hyung?”

 

"Hakyeon-hyung's drawn up this really cool design, and he said it's a ward that's only going to work on mages, so he wants to ink one that he likes."

 

Changkyun blinked. “He wants to put a tattoo on you? But you hate needles…”

 

"Can't see 'em if it's on my back, that's the reasoning."

 

Changkyun sighed. “I’ll do it, hyung. I can help update their computers as payback.”

 

"Seriously?" Jooheon's eyes widened. "I mean, I'll probably do one anyway just because the art's really awesome, but you're doing way more dangerous stuff than me."

 

“Seriously. I mean, it couldn’t hurt to have some added protection, now could it?”

 

"See, now you're thinking like a mage who's about to get into some serious shit."

 

The younger man arched an eyebrow. “And I wasn’t before? I’ve been taking this very seriously.”

 

"Not as seriously as I'd like." Jooheon had made it a point to look out for his friend, even when he sounded a bit overprotective. "And like you said, extra protection isn't going to hurt."

 

Changkyun rolled his eyes.”I said I would get the tattoo….hell, I’ll wear a rabbit’s foot if it will make you happy, hyung.”

 

"Rabbit's feet are old wives' tales, kiddo," Jooheon nudged. "At least you can tell me if it hurts."

 

“Hundreds of little needles piercing my skin,” Changkyun smirked, knowing it would get to his friend. “Sure, no pain at all…”

 

Jooheon nearly jumped out of his seat, already flinching. "....Tell me again why I put up with you?"

 

Changkyun grinned. “Because I’m cute and let you copy my homework. Not to mention I’ve fixed your laptop twice.”

 

The older man chuckled and sat down to his work, intent on finishing some of his notes, at least. "Touche, Kyunnie. Now read up, I want to see you in one piece."

 

The younger mage settled down beside his best friend, curling up on the chair with Minari propped in front of him. He wasn’t going to fail….he refused to.

  
  


"No failures?" Kihyun's mouth was set in a grim line when he greeted Changkyun at his door. It had taken a lot of time and prodding for the archmage to give up where he actually lived (just a few blocks away from his shop), but it was the safest place he could think of, with the specialized room he had prepared just for his more dangerous spells. "I also hope you brought a fire extinguisher."

 

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” Changkyun replied, lifting up the portable extinguisher he’d “borrowed” from the dorm. The small of his back still ached from the placement of Hakyeon’s ward but he felt a slight buzz around him, warm and strangely pleasant.

 

"Get in then, I'm sure there's paperwork I have to sign...you're warded." Kihyun could easily sense the powerful magic that was rolling off the young man. He stepped aside, allowing Changkyun into the dark, narrow entryway.

 

“Hakyeon had some new wards he wanted to try that could only be used on mages,” Changkyun murmured as he entered, looking around curiously as he handed Kihyun the paperwork. The place was surprisingly homey compared to the dark, musty bookshop.

 

Much like the bookstore, Kihyun's home felt as though it came from a different world. He had only agreed to have his house wired for electricity after a scare with a gas lamp, and even then much preferred his candles. Bookshelves were packed to the brim with curious texts and knickknacks - he had a penchant for collecting unusual artifacts. "I hope you told him that my text was perfectly adequate, as I had to deal with him coming to the shop just to laugh at me," he muttered. "...He does have quite powerful magic."

 

“I’ll show you how to send texts through your phone so you don’t have to deal with him,” Changkyun promised, then shivered. “It feels strange sometimes. Kinda nice. I suppose I’ll have to get used to it.”

 

"You get used to it, eventually you won't notice....through my phone?" Kihyun stopped suddenly, holding up the ancient rotary phone on his side table. "Seems even more inconvenient than a typewriter. Why can't you youngsters appreciate the written word?"

 

“No, through your cell phone. I know that Hakyeon-sshi made you get one,” Changkyun said with a sigh.

 

"Oh, that nonsense." Kihyun sniffed. "I demanded the service be canceled, useless thing with the damn ringing and beeping..."

 

“You…...nevermind,” Changkyun said with a shake of his head. Old mages were _weird_. “Ignatius gave the okay for you to evaluate me. He did suggest several others…”

  
  


The archmage found a fountain pen on a cluttered bookshelf and sat down on his overstuffed couch to read the paperwork. "Ignatius would. He'd first direct you to the ones affiliated with the university or on the council."

 

“Yeah…..but I trust you more,” the younger man said quietly as he rifled amongst the belongings in his bag, pulling out a piece of gum to pop into his mouth - anything to help calm his nerves.

  
  


"You barely know me, so you probably shouldn't. For all you know, I blew a guy and got the archmage title," Kihyun murmured as he kept scanning through the documents, making sure that it was legitimate and that Changkyun had finished all of the preparatory work. "What are you using to draw the summon circle and ward?"

 

“Well, then you have to be an expert at blowjobs if Ignatius is so scared of you,” Changkyun commented blandly as he handed the other pieces of pearly white gypsum. “Supposed to be the best at summoning fire imps.” He had promised a term paper and cleaned a few tricky viruses from a Senior’s computer to gain the hard to find material.

 

"You may need a few more pieces, I have some in the chamber. The circle is a lot larger than you'd think, and gypsum can crumble fairly easily." Still, Changkyun had done the legwork, Kihyun had to commend him for that. He ignored the blowjob comment - just how long had it been?

 

“I’ll pay you for them,” Changkyun promised the older man. He refused to be in anyone’s debt. “It may take me a little time though. Usually I repay people by writing their papers or fixing their computers or phones. You don’t need either.”

 

"Why on earth would you write someone's paper? They have to defend that, not you."

 

The younger man shrugged. “When you are poor you do what you need to do.”

 

"And if they get caught with a ghostwritten paper, do you take their consequences?"

 

“I usually make them swear under spellbound oath that they won’t reveal anything. No one has narced on me yet.” Changkyun sighed. “I’m not sure why you care that much. When you have nothing you sometimes have to do things you don’t like to make ends meet, okay?”

 

"Just seems like there should be a better way..." Kihyun paused. "I could use help at the shop."

 

Changkyun looked at the other in surprise. “Are you sure? I don’t want anyone pitying me, Kihyun-sshi. I’ve been on my own since I was a kid - I’ve managed okay.”

 

"If I pitied you, I'd just hand over money," Kihyun pointed out. "This is work. Compensated work, but work."

 

“I’d never take someone’s money without giving something in return,” Changkyun said quietly. “I might not look like it but I’m a hard worker.”

 

"You did all this legwork and research for your project, I most certainly wouldn't call you lazy. Ridiculous, but not lazy." The mage signed the papers with a flourish and set them aside. "Follow me to the basement. The chamber is there."

 

A thrill of anticipation  ran down Changkyun’s spine as he followed the other man downstairs, the frayed and worn backpack carrying everything he needed clutched in his hands. It was really going to happen…

 

Kihyun led the way down slightly creaky stairs to his basement summoning chamber. He preferred to use it for his larger summons, due to the risk involved in it - plus his general strongest wards were already applied to it, able to handle most creatures. A fire imp wouldn't stand a chance of breaking free of his meticulous setups. "According to your evaluation rules, this is where I step back and let you prepare and cast. I will be reporting on your circle drawing, your summoning, and your control and banishment. Should you fail to banish it, I will banish it myself."

 

Changkyun nodded, studying the room carefully. He stepped forward to rearrange the candles placed around the room to his liking. Once he was satisfied he stepped back and pulled out the other items needed - the gypsum, a shallow stone bowl, the petals from a black rose, a bit of kindling and a box of matches, and a silver knife. He looked up at Kihyun to see if the other had any suggestions before he began.

 

"I can't offer any suggestions," Kihyun murmured, surveying his setup. "Or corrections, this is an evaluation after all. However....were I the one doing this casting, I would want to re-evaluate the petal arrangement."

 

The younger mage nodded, offering a slight, grateful smile as he looked down, studying the petals and making a few adjustments. Finally satisfied he removed his hoodie and then his shirt, shivering briefly as the cool air skimmed over his bare skin. Changkyun was thin, almost painfully so, but otherwise he was nicely built, his lightly tanned skin unblemished except for the intricate ward Hakyeon had place at the small of his back, black and red swirls of ink beautiful in their complexity. He took the chalk and drew the pentagram as was described, confining himself inside the boundaries as he murmured a soft chant to himself as the line was completed. Once finished, he took the other items and sat in the center, his breathing slow and even.

  
  


Kihyun's fountain pen softly scratched at his notepad, making careful annotations. He stopped before making his most important one - that he was thin, nearly too thin. A summon this large would easily sap the energy out of him - he'd have to cook something up before he left; there was no point in sending him out on the streets in the cold. Despite his thin frame, there was something oddly intriguing about his looks, which Hakyeon's tattoo only seemed to highlight, stark against his skin.

 

Changkyun placed the kindling into the stone bowl and carefully layered the petals, his low voice giving the incantation he now chanted a ringing quality as it echoed in the chamber. He then drew out the knife and with a deep breath ran it across his palm, blood dripping into the bowl as he winced. He carefully wrapped a bit of cloth around his wound as he struck a match and set the kindling in the bowl on fire, the petals and his own blood giving the mixture a strangely sweet, metallic scent. As the smoke grew, so did the chant slipping past Changkyun’s lips.

  
  


“Hotter than hot, need beyond need, flames that flicker with lifeblood rise, I summon thee…”

  
  


Kihyun's scratching stopped, lest the noise interrupt Changkyun's chanting. He recognized the call for a fire imp right away (and secretly mourned the scorch marks that would soon decorate the room.) He still kept on alert, waiting for the change to occur - and the flame turned blue, signaling a strong, supernatural presence.

 

….Wasn’t a fire imp supposed to turn the flames blood-red?

  
  


Changkyun didn’t notice the change in color, his eyes closed as he continued the chant, even as he felt the ward on his lower back burn in warning. The imp had to be coming….he would succeed! No one could tell him he was worthless, that he was destined to be a failure….he’d show them…

  
  


A low, unearthly rumble shook the room, and Kihyun braced, prepared to bind the demon himself - that color was no fire imp, no fire imp could ever mutate the flame. They were the grunts of hell, nothing upper echelon, nothing to really worry about besides the property damage—

 

A low voice finally broke through, although there was no sign of the demon other than a thin blue mist. “Who summons me?”

  
  


Changkyun’s eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes, his gaze slightly glazed as he murmured the binding, unaware that the spell had shifted course. “I, Im Changkyun bind you. I bind you by blood and fire, by earth and smoke. By the sweet scent of spring and the words I speak. I bind you to me, demon, by the rules of your kind and of mine.”

  
  


The flame rose higher as a dark chuckle filled the room, and a figure appeared – a tall, muscular man with hair nearly as blonde as Jooheon’s bleach-filled dare, blue dye clinging to the edges. This was no fire imp, not by his studded leather pants or thick boots or lack of a shirt. This demon radiated power, and Kihyun felt his stomach sink.

 

“Dammit, _another_ nerd?” He exclaimed, incredulous. “It’s always the nerds…”

 

At the sound of the demon’s voice Changkyun’s eyes widened, the glaze stripped away entirely. This was no fire imp! This wasn’t even a djinn….

 

He was in trouble….

 

Quickly the young man muttered a banishment spell.

 

_Please work, please work…._

  
  


The demon just stared Changkyun down, a smirk on his lips. "Yeah, no. That doesn't work on me, kid. You're just stuck--" He stopped, catching sight of Kihyun in the shadows. "....Really stuck."

  
  


Changkyun followed the demon’s gaze until he focused on Kihyun. “Get out of here, Kihyun-sshi,” he warned the older man, protective instinct taking hold. This demon would probably kill him pretty easily - he could feel the power emanating from the creature (and a tiny part of him was proud he could summon something that strong) - but at least Kihyun could get away.

  
  


"Don't." Kihyun's voice sounded tired. "This is no murdering demon, are you, H--"

 

“Wonho,” the demon abruptly cut off. “Look, I was summoned by a seriously horny virgin – I’m guessing that’s you – who’s in need of a good deep dicking. I’m down, let’s go.”

  
  


Changkyun had managed to get to his feet weakly, his energy nearly drained out of him by the summoning but he was preparing to fight when the demon’s words sunk in. “No! No….I’m not…” the younger mage shook his head, color flooding his cheeks. “...horny….” his voice tapered off, suddenly feeling vulnerable and naked even though only his shirt had been removed.

  
  


Wonho rolled his eyes as he circled the young summoner. "Hotter than hot and need beyond need," he mocked. "That means you're in desperate need to get laid, pronto."

 

“That was for a fire imp…” Changkyun replied, turning as the other did to make sure the demon was always in view, the ward burning white hot at the small of his back, the black and red vivid against his skin. “You are _not_  a fire imp.” It was a statement, not a question.

  
  


"That took you long enough, loser. So are we fucking or what?"

  
  


"It's not just for a fire imp," Kihyun muttered. "That spell can be interpreted in several different ways....and in this case, it caused the demon to look into _your_  greatest need."

 

Changkyun looked briefly away from the demon to turn his gaze to the archmage. “But I don’t need… _that_ ,” he muttered, nodding at the blonde.

  
  


_Minari’s Rule #1 - Don’t take your eyes off the one you summon._

  
  
  


"Then you didn't quite understand the Minari as well as you thought - which is what I expected. Rule Five, be fully aware of yourself and your needs prior to attempting a summon. That's why you ended up with H--an incubus," he quickly corrected.

  
  


"Awww, isn't that a sexy little tattoo," Wonho complimented, the demon easily slipping behind Changkyun. "Tells me just where to put it...."

  
  


“Incubus…” Changkyun repeated, freezing as he felt the demon behind him. Wonho was _warm_ , an unnatural head emanating from the demon’s body - but unfortunately for the young mage it wasn’t the heat of a fire imp but something much more dangerous. He tried to spin back around, to put distance between himself and the unwanted creature. “I don’t need anything like him….help me banish him, Kihyun-sshi…..please…”

  
  
  
  


"...I can't. Rule Fifteen, a demon must be banished by the caster," Kihyun murmured. As an archmage, he could get around the set Minari rules - but he couldn't - not when it had been so long. Out of all the demons....

  
  


"How about instead we take this somewhere nicer?" Wonho suggested, his breath rolling over Changkyun's ear. His hands slid over the mage's chest, fingers blindly pinching both his nipples. "Oooh, someone's really a virgin..."

  
  


“Then help me figure out to banish him!” Changkyun muttered frantically, stepping back with a gasp as his nipples grew taut, heat flooding his cheeks in both embarrassment and a strange kind of arousal. He was lonely, that he would admit, but that didn’t mean he needed some horny demon…

 

Did it?

  
  


"Still not how that works, nerd," Wonho taunted. "He knows exactly how to banish me, he just can't - and that's waaaaay over your level."

  
  


“Why not?” Changkyun replied stubbornly, his eyes flashing in irritation as he batted the demon’s hand away and took another step back, feet precariously near the edge of the drawn circle.

  
  


"Because you want me, naturally."

  
  


“I do NOT want you, asshole!” Changkyun growled out, his low voice a stark contrast to his too slim frame, the ward at his back burning even hotter. “And there is nothing natural about you.”

  
  


Wonho cast an amused gaze to Changkyun's groin. "Something's telling me that you're lying. You've never gotten laid by a demon before, and Kihyunnie there is too chickenshit to fuck you."

  
  


Changkyun ignored his blush to glare at the demon, one hand covering his growing erection. “Number one, that’s just from adrenaline. Everyone knows that happens….and Number two, Kihyun-sshi is just my mentor. There is no way he’d want to fuck me.”

  
  


Wonho raised an eyebrow. "You must be in real trouble while you're working out...oh, right." He stuck out his heel and easily scratched through Changkyun's circle, walking out as if the barrier were made of wet tissue. "So you summoned me so I could get Kihyunnie to fuck you."

  
  


“Working out? I work behind a computer asshole,” Changkyun muttered, the ward throbbing in warning as the circle was broken, pain lancing through the younger mage’s body. Biting back a whimper he shook his head. “You are too damned focused on someone fucking someone else. Kihyun-sshi isn’t going to fuck me. No one else is either. No one wants to or needs to, and that’s that. Besides, I’m not interested in anyone who is hundreds of years older than me. Not happening.”

  
  


"Hundreds of years...." Wonho stopped, looked at Kihyun and back at Changkyun before a grin started to spread on his face. "You really--" the grin turned into snorts, which quickly turned into chuckles and outright laughter. "He's still pulling that? Hundreds of years old? He's _thirty_ , dumbass!"

  
  


Kihyun scowled at the demon, clearly annoyed that his secret was out. "I'm an archmage, I will be soon enough!"

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened as the demon’s words sunk in and he whipped his head around and stared at the archmage. “Thirty? You’re thirty? You are fucking _twelve_  years older than I am? What the fuck?”

  
  


"Thirty minus twelve is eighteen, which makes you down to party," Wonho chimed in. "Young sexy virgin pushing all my buttons..."

  
  


Kihyun silently glanced away, refusing to explain himself.

  
  


“A dirty sock would push your buttons,” Changkyun muttered, still searching the archmage’s expression for some reason that Kihyun hadn’t mentioned anything about his true age.

  
  


"Does that dirty sock have DSL? I'd be down...." Wonho smirked. "Little gullible mage...I'll fix that right up."

  
  


Changkyun turned his gaze back to the incubus, his expression no longer holding fear but rather irritation. “Knock it off. Yeah, you’re hot….but you are so fucking irritating. I’m trying to get my mentor to tell me why he’s let me think he was older than he is, so just chill.”

  
  


"So you admit I'm hot. Wonho 1, Changkyunnie...a big fat zero." The demon looked triumphant. "There's only one good way to celebrate that win."

  
  


"You can't keep a demon in your dorm," Kihyun said, his voice flat. "He's bound to you. You'll have to stay here."

  
  


Changkyun rolled his eyes. “You really think I’m giving you anything, demon?” He turned back to the archmage. “I can find somewhere else, Kihyun-sshi. Wouldn’t want to inconvenience an ancient mage such as yourself.”

  
  


"Only thing I want is your virginity...hey, bet you haven't done a damn thing." Wonho grinned wickedly. "We are going to have _so_  much fun."

  
  


"No other mage in their right mind would let you stay with a demon, and bringing him into a non-protected area will cause havoc."

  
  


“It’s none of your business what I’ve done or haven’t done,” Changkyun growled over his shoulder as he walked over to the chair to pick up his shirt. “Why the fuck did you lie to me, Kihyun?”

  
  


"Easy. No one believes an archmage is under a hundred," Kihyun stated simply. The truth was much more embarrassing...and painful.

  
  


"Even hotter when you're mad..." Wonho was quick to snatch Changkyun's shirt and hold it out of the mage's reach. "You're supposed to keep your shirt off when you're angry."

  
  
  


“I wouldn’t have cared,” the younger mage murmured. “I respected you because of what you knew, not because of your age. I trusted you,” he added, betrayed as he tried to grab his shirt from the demon. Wonho wasn’t that much taller than he was but the demon had no trouble keeping the shirt just out of reach. “Give it back, dammit..”

  
  


"I think it looks better on me..." Wonho slipped on Changkyun's shirt, the fabric tight against his skin.

  
  


The archmage turned towards the door, prepared to go up the stairs. "I'll get the guest room ready."

  
  


“You’re going to stretch it out, asshole. Not all of us have as obscenely big muscles as you do or an infinite wardrobe,” the younger mage complained, turning back to Kihyun. “You are just going to leave me alone with this dickhead?”

  
  


"If you don't like it, why don't you just take it off me?" Wonho leered, clearly eyeing Changkyun's chest.

  
  


"You're welcome to follow me. Incubi can cross warded rooms."

  
  


Changkyun’s anger faded briefly, leaving the boy uncomfortable with the demon’s gaze focused on him and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Do you really not care what happens to me with _him_?” he murmured quietly in Kihyun’s direction.

  
  


"Oh, I get it." Wonho's arms sneaked around Changkyun, pulling him flush against the taller demon. "It's cool, we can go upstairs. You probably want a completely vanilla first go."

  
  


Changkyun tried to squirm out of the demon’s grasp, only to find himself pulled closer - and his eyes widened as he realized just how happy Wonho was that he was there. “Let go of me. This isn’t funny.”

  
  


"Neither is screwing with a power way beyond your control," Wonho breathed into his ear before loosening his grip.

 

“All I wanted was to prove to the others that I had the power to summon a fire imp,” Changkyun murmured, taking a step away from the demon’s heat (and refusing to acknowledge just how _nice_  it felt.) “No one expects me to succeed at anything…”

 

"Fire imps? The ones that cause massive property damage? You got lucky that you got me instead, aren't you? You wouldn't be forking over more money for replacing all of Kihyunnie's things."

  
  


“I don’t think it’s necessarily lucky that I summoned you,” Changkyun said blandly. Which still brought the question: why _did_  he summon the incubus? “I need to figure out what mistake I made that summoned you instead of an imp or even a djinn.”

  
  


"Please, have you heard yourself chanting? You practically moaned out your need beyond need. I come to fill it, and you treat me like some creep." Wonho sniffed. "No wonder why you're a virgin."

  
  


"Are you coming?" Kihyun's voice floated down the stairs.

  
  


“That’s because you _are_  a creep. You don’t know me or what I need or want,” Changkyun stepped away, giving up on his shirt as he grabbed his bag and headed up the stairs. Strangely the tattooed ward had settled to a warm buzz against his skin. It still was deeper in color than it had been before but there was no pain. “Are you coming or not?” 

  
  


"I wish I was," Wonho said wistfully as he trudged up the stairs behind. "Fuck, I wish I was..."

  
  


“Pervert,” Changkyun muttered, but couldn’t help but shiver as he felt the demon’s breath against his neck as they made it up the stairs. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is wondering, the tattoo shop mentioned in the fic is from an RP we did a while ago that is set in this same world. Hakyeon of VIXX is a fae and owner of a tattoo shop, Leo is his companion, and Jongdae of EXO is a sidhe. There are several other characters but I won't get into details now. I think we need to revive this world. Needless to say, Hakyeon will make cameos in this fic because he is awesome like that.


	4. Getting to know you...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: smut ahead. You know you love it. 
> 
> Also I added tags since we now know at least one pairing.

Kihyun's guest room was two flights of stairs from the basement, a massive home for such a young archmage. The second floor's wallpaper had faded, with bright squares where something had hung before, all personal items or books removed from the area (and judging by the thick layer of dust on the table, had been so for quite a while. The guest room was just as sparse but liveable, with a small bed and serviceable desk. The archmage was quickly shoving some papers into one of the drawers frantically, looking as though he was trying to arrange some sort of decent living space.

  
  


“Don’t bother,” Changkyun commented calmly as he entered the room. “I can clean it up. Again, I don’t want to inconvenience you, archmage. I’m sure you have better things to do.” He himself would have to search through the Minari to see if there was a stronger banishing spell and he had no reason to expect Kihyun to help him with that.

  
  


Kihyun locked the drawer with a heavy iron key, which he shoved into his pocket. "I was...getting rid of some old field notes," he lied smoothly. "The building has a source of electricity, and I'm sure you can find some way to get that...computer...to work." He nearly recoiled saying the word.

  
  


The demon was suddenly quiet as he looked curiously through the room. How could even an archmage live somewhere that felt so...dead?

  
  


“Stop acting like you don’t know what a computer is, Kihyun,” Changkyun said with a sigh. “I now know you aren’t even fifty years old, much less centuries. I thought it was kind of….quaint that you didn’t know technology before. Now it’s just lazy. Get with the times, archmage.” He pulled out his own old laptop, which had seen much better days but had been upgraded as much as a poor hacker student mage could manage. He looked back at the demon. “You can sit down where ever….or take a nap….or something. I don’t care.”

  
  


"Right." He didn't bother to correct a little cyberpunk - they never understood his background. Kihyun left silently, enough so that the soft click of his bedroom door echoed through the hall.

  
  


"Fuck that." Wonho leaned forward, staring at the laptop in interest. "So, how much porn you got on that thing?"

  
  


Changkyun rolled his eyes as he booted up the hard drive. “I don’t have porn on here - this is my work computer.” He sat it on his lap and focused as his fingers flew over the keys, forgetting he was still half naked in front of an incubus.

 

"Then where' s your porn computer, kid?" Wonho plopped himself onto the edge of the bed to watch Changkyun's screen. "...That doesn't look like magic."

  
  


“Don’t have time for porn,” Changkyun hummed as his eyes flittered across the screen, absorbing the information quickly before moving to the next page. “Too many classes - I need to cram 4 years of this school into 2.”

 

"Why don't you just hack the system and add in more credits?" Wonho asked. " _Then_ you've got plenty of time for porn."

 

“Too easy,” came the blunt reply. “Besides, I want to do this for myself. I like learning new things.”

 

....I was joking." Wonho's eyes widened as he leaned forward to study his screen. "...Why four years into two?"

  
  


“I can’t afford all 4 years,” Changkyun said honestly. “Wards of the state aren’t exactly rolling in cash around here. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can get a job that puts food on the table and money in my pocket.”

 

"Sooo....why not charge for all that hacking stuff if it's so easy to get into the system? People'll pay out the nose for better grades."

  
  


“They need to earn those grades. If I have to then so do they…” Changkyun added with a slight smirk. “And I’m a lot smarter than they are.”

 

Wonho chuckled. "Guess being an orphan'll do all that to ya, Harry Potter."

 

Changkyun arched an eyebrow. “What does it say about you that you want to fuck the Boy Who LIved?”

 

"Nah, unbridled angst and luck doesn't do it for me." The demon waved it off. "I prefer punks."

 

Changkyun tried to hide his smile as he looked back down at his computer. “Fuck,” he swore. “There are missing pages in the Minari…”

 

"Probably missing how incredibly hot incubi are...." Wonho drawled. "Did I mention that Minari himself couldn't banish me?"

 

The young mage looked up, his eyes widening in surprise. This was definitely something he didn’t want to hear. “He couldn’t? What happened?”

 

Wonho grinned. "I am a _very_  rare sort of incubus. There's only one absolutely foolproof way to banish me..."

 

Changkyun leaned closer as the incubus’ voice grew quieter, straining to hear the secret of getting rid of this pest. Wonho was annoying - and hot - and frustrating - and hot - and he really needed to go away.

  
  


Wonho leaned in again, his whisper just barely lingering over the mage's ear. "We fuck until I am thoroughly satisfied."

  
  


Changkyun threw up his hands in exasperation and bit back a moan, swallowing past a throat that was suddenly dry. "Are you serious? You.....and Minari?"

  
  


"Fuuuuck no." Wonho shuddered. "That dried-up old turd? I'm a demon and that'll give _me_  nightmares."

  
  


“But you just said that was the only way to banish you…...and how in the hell is an incubus satisfied? Aren’t you insatiable?”

 

"That's the fun part!"

 

“So you didn’t do it with Minari,” Changkyun replied, trying to tease out another option. However, it was getting a little difficult to think. The demon was so very close and he smelled kinda nice...“How did he get rid of you then?”

  
  


"I can easily just disappear...but I don't feel like it when I've got such a walking sex bomb right in front of me."

 

Changkyun snorted, shaking his head. “I’m no sex bomb…” he murmured, closing his eyes and taking in a few deep breaths, slim fingers hesitating over the keys. He just had to clear his thoughts…

  
  


"I think I'm way more of a good judge of that than you are...besides, you know that, too. One, you haven't put a shirt on and two, that tattoo of yours basically yells 'fuck me' in Infernal."

  
  


“I wanted to start my research. Don’t need a shirt for that,” the boy protested, eyes still closed, shoulders not quite as tense as they had been before. “And Hakyeon wouldn’t put a ward on me that said that…”

  
  


Wonho's smile was quiet - so he did make something out of that crazy idea of his, after all. His hands shot out to rub the boy's shoulders. Incubi were pretty good at massaging their 'clients', and if Changkyun didn't feel like putting on a shirt....

  
  


Changkyun tensed at first as the demon laid hands on him but Wonho’s fingers were so warm… his head rolled forward, a soft sigh escaping. It just felt nice.

  
  


"See? Isn't it so much easier to get your work done when you're nice and relaxed...and have a good treat waiting at the end?" Wonho cajoled.

  
  


“Makes me just want to go to bed,” the young mage murmured. “But it does feel good,” he admitted reluctantly.

  
  


"How about..." Wonho paused. "You do your work and I make you feel good?"

  
  


“M’kay….” Changkyun hummed, slowly opening his eyes once more and gazing back down at the computer screen, his gaze slightly unfocused.

  
  


The demon concentrated on his massage as the tension continued to ease out of his shoulders. He could sense the stress and worry in Changkyun, and there were plenty of ways he knew how to fix _that_. One of his hands idly slipped down to toy with the mage's nipple again - this time, perhaps he had relaxed enough to really enjoy it.

  
  


Changkyun’s breath caught as those too warm fingers teased his sensitive skin, nipple pebbling beneath the demon’s touch but he didn’t push the incubus away. His own fingers, however, did stumble as they moved across the laptop keyboard.

  
  


"Keep working," Wonho purred into his skin. "But a busy boy like you must need to relax..." He let his other hand tease his neglected nipple, just as the tip of his tongue just grazed over the curve of his neck.

  
  


“Need to find a way to get rid of you….” Changkyun’s words tapered off into a whimper, his head rolling to the side. Hakyeon had once told him that pierced nipples felt _amazing_. Well, his nipples felt pretty damned good without the piercing right now…

  
  


"All you have to do is say the word and I stop," Wonho murmured - he didn't have rules as an incubus, but that was one he followed. His fingers kept gently pinching and rolling his nipples between his fingers, delighting in the teasing and long licks that he kept brushing over Changkyun's neck. "Or you could get more comfortable while you work..."

  
  


“More comfortable…” Changkyun repeated dreamily in his low voice. He had remained on the same screen for the past five minutes - what was he looking for?

  
  


The low rumble in his voice made Wonho shiver - when was the last time a human made him respond that well? "So how about you get those pesky jeans off?" he suggested. "They're so tight, that can't be comfortable."

  
  


The young mage’s eyes wandered down to the waistband of his jeans. Yes, they  _were_ pretty tight. “Okay…” he added with a hazy smile, reaching down to fumble with the button before slipping the denim down over the curve of his ass and past his slim hips and thighs before kicking them off with a satisfied sigh.

 

Much more comfortable…

  
  


Wonho's hands left his nipples to settle comfortably around his waist, the demon's chin propped neatly on his shoulder. "Now that you're feeling a little better, why don't you try to work while I find out just how fucking delicious you are?"

  
  


“You make me sound like some kind of dessert,” Changkyun murmured, trying to gather his thoughts and focus on the screen in front of him but it was getting more difficult by the moment. The demon smelled like honey and pipe tobacco and as strange as it sounded Changkyun found himself loving the combination.

  
  


"That's because you are, gorgeous," Wonho murmured. He slipped around to the front and knelt on the floor, settling between the younger's legs. "Nice choice in underwear, too...I like how your cock peeks out right...here." He tapped the spot, rubbing his finger lightly over the tip that threatened to burst free from the fabric at any moment.

  
  


Changkyun let out a gasp and a low, surprised moan, hips jerking forward and laptop slipping off his lap to crash to the floor.

  
  
  


"That's no way to study." Wonho looked up, amused, before replacing the laptop firmly on his desk. "Let's get this off of you. I want my taste of a hot little genius virgin."

  
  


“Not hot,” the boy protested, not objecting as his boxers were removed, leaving him naked and vulnerable. It was just so hard to think right now….and he felt _nice_. He never felt nice.

  
  


"Hot...but definitely not little," Wonho declared once he finally got an eyeful. He steadied his hands on Changkyun's thighs and dove in to thoroughly lick and lightly suck his balls - Changkyun was getting more of an education tonight than he thought.

  
  


If anything Changkyun’s moan was deeper this time as the boy tried to stand but found himself pushed back onto the bed. “Wonho….what….” he managed to get out, fingers reaching up to grip the incubus’ blue-tinged hair.

  
  


"This is the best way I  know to get you to relax." Wonho looked up, meeting the boy's eyes. "Want me to stop?" There was no magic involved, no forced seduction.

  
  


Changkyun felt the haziness clear, leaving him naked in front of a demon - a gorgeous demon who was interested in _him,_  as impossible as it seemed to be. The logical part of him told him he should say yes, should tell Wonho that he didn’t want this, that he wanted the demon to  go away and never come back. Changkyun trusted that logical part of himself - after all it was what helped him survive. He straddled the border between technology and magic and he’d always relied on the logical to keep that balance.

  
  


But sometimes humans weren’t logical.

  
  


“No…” he whispered, cheeks flushed as he met the demon’s eyes.

  
  


“Don’t stop.”

  
  
  


Wonho could see it in Changkyun's eyes - the struggle between logical and carnal, where carnal easily won out by a mile. He kept his gaze steady on his face, moving upwards to finally take his cock between his lips. A low rumble escaped, a satisfied noise while his lips and tongue eagerly explored, teasing to figure out just how sensitive he was.

  
  


Any questions about Changkyun’s sensitivity were answered within a few moments, the boy responding in sounds he’d never heard come from his lips before. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the gorgeous demon on his knees before him, his fingers restlessly running through Wonho’s hair as his hips rocked forward.

  
  


Wonho's pleased hum reverberated around Changkyun's cock. He didn't care that the grip in his hair was that tight, not when he had just what he wanted down his throat - a summoner who didn't want him as a sex slave, just for pure release. A quick spell and his finger was greased, enough for the long digit to slowly tease inside. Poor Changkyun needed a taste of what he was missing out on - and Wonho was just the demon to give it.

 

Changkyun gasped in surprise as a cool, slick digit was pushed inside him. He couldn’t lie and say he had never experimented in the shower, fingering himself slowly as the other hand pumped his cock but it had been a very, very long time...and never by someone else.

  
  


The demon met Changkyun's eyes again, a smirk playing in them as his finger easily twisted and pressed forward. As much as he wanted his cock inside this temptingly tight body, he had to wait, play nice...besides, he liked his little taste too much.

  
  


The boy moaned as Wonho’s finger plunged completely into him with a firm, fast action that nearly brought him to his knees. His grip on the demon’s hair tightened as he tried to relax around the digit buried inside him.

  
  


"Relax. Let go," Wonho whispered as he pulled off his cock for a moment, only to plunge back as fast as he could.

  
  
  


“Fuck!” Changkyun cried out, the demon’s warm, wet mouth a stark contrast to the cool finger thrusting inside him. It felt like so much, yet it wasn’t enough….

  
  


A second finger slowly joined the first - still, he felt impossibly tight to Wonho. He moaned around the cock in his mouth, just thinking of how snugly his cock would fit, how much the mage would moan and beg....

  
  


He’d tried two fingers before and it hadn’t felt too bad - but the demon’s fingers were thicker than his own so this time there was a sting, a slight pain that quickly faded as his body grew used to it. In fact, the pleasure grew so quickly that Changkyun found himself shamelessly rocking back to encourage those fingers to go deeper.

  
  


Wonho paused for a moment to look up into Changkyun's eyes again - seeing him so undone and so close to the edge made him want _more_. "Seems like you want my cock in there. Tell me."

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened and he blushed, shaking his head in desperation. He couldn’t…

  
  


Wonho's smirk widened into a smile. "...Well, let's try it this way. Want to get a good fuck, Changkyunnie?"

  
  


Changkyun swallowed as he looked down at the demon - the demon who still had two fingers buried in his ass. “Yes?”

  
  


"That's a question," Wonho said, recognizing the lilt at the end. "Yes or no, that's all I need."

  
  


The young mage took a deep breath, letting it out with a soft but undeniable ‘yes,’ at the end.

  
  
  


"You're going to have something to write home about," Wonho murmured as he shed Changkyun's shirt and the skin-tight leather pants - proving that he preferred no underwear. "Specially when you've got this dick in you."

  
  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened as the naked incubus stood before him. There was no doubt that Wonho was enjoying what was happening - and that the rumors about incubi were true. There was no way _that_  was going to fit inside him.

  
  


Wonho idly stroked his cock while he worked his magic, casting an amused glance at Changkyun. "Never played with a big dildo or anything?"

  
  


He hadn’t spoken aloud, had he? The boy shook his head. “Just my fingers. You think I could afford toys when I could barely pay for tuition?”

  
  


The demon grabbed Changkyun's hand, moving it to his cock to feel it. "Figured you might hack into some sex toy site and get some goodies."

  
  


Changkyun rolled his eyes, even as his heart began to race. He could barely fit his hand around the other’s length - what the fuck? “Unlike you, my life doesn’t revolve around sex. I kinda prefer surviving,” he muttered, still stubborn and snarky even in the current situation.

  
  


"We all gotta survive, kid...fuck, little faster. I won't break." Wonho grinned down, proud of just how thick he was.

  
  


“But there’s a difference, demon,” Changkyun replied, squeezing the other slightly. “You survive on sex and your gigantic ego. Easy things for you. Humans need more. I haven’t eaten a full meal in a couple days.” He hated admitting it but there it was - smarter than normal mage and hacker could barely keep himself fed. Not even Jooheon knew that.

  
  


"You're going to be incredibly surprised when you find out the truth." Wonho's larger hand covered his, guiding just how he liked to be touched. "Start charging -mmm, like that - charging food."

  
  


Changkyun shivered as the demon’s bigger hand covered his own and guided him over the velvety smooth feel of the other’s cock. “I’m sure the truth is that you are just a benevolent sprite out to help the world…..and if I charge food, then how do I pay rent or tuition?”

  
  


"No, I'm definitely an incubus...and you say it's for inflation." The demon's cock seemed to magically slick up; a spell that Wonho mastered early on. "But right now, it's 'make Changkyunnie come hard' time."

  
  


The incubus’ cock wasn’t the only area that seemed to slick up instantly. “What the hell?” Changkyun looked over his shoulder, one hand slipping to his entrance, his finger easily entering without resistance, wet and slick. It was like one of those creepy werewolf fairy tales where the Omegas got slick when they got turned on - even the guys.

  
  


Of course, everyone knew that werewolves weren’t real.

  
  


"See? I'm a hell of a nice incubus, making sure you're good and slick, too." He easily crawled on top of the younger man, the tip of his cock just barely pressing inside. "Need more?"

  
  
  


“I just….” Changkyun paused, shaking his head. So this was really happening - he was losing his virginity to a horny incubus that he accidentally summoned instead of a fire imp.

 

He was so not passing this class.

 

“I don’t know,” he finally said with a shrug, closing his eyes.

  
  


Wonho shrugged and withdrew, getting up from his position. "Suit yourself. I'll be here."

  
  
  


The mage opened his eyes, looking up at the demon in confusion. “Weren’t you going to just….do it? You seemed pretty ready for it.”

  
  


"What, and have you lay there and take it? I can take care of myself, y'know. If you don't want it, or you're not sure, I'm not going to fuck you."

  
  


“I didn’t think it mattered what I wanted,” Changkyun murmured with a sigh as he sat up, strangely not self-conscious in his nudity. Or maybe it wasn’t so strange. After all, he was skinny and there was no reason anyone would want him like this. “It’s just…..I’m scared, okay? It may not seem like a big deal to you - you do this all the time, right? It’s never happened to me.”

  
  


"Look, incubi are summoned by people who want to have sex," Wonho explained. "And a lot of them are like you, right?" The demon sat himself on the bed next to the other, not bothering to get dressed. "What's scaring you about it? That it'll hurt?"

  
  


“But that’s part of what I don’t understand - I didn’t mean to summon you,” Changkyun replied, the demon’s skin warm against his side even though they weren’t touching. “And of course I’m scared that it will hurt. Everyone I’ve talked to says it does. I’m also scared about how things felt so good earlier. It was like you had cast a spell on me and I couldn’t think straight but then you said you weren’t coercing me. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  
  


"You read a fire imp chant, but your soul wanted more than that," Wonho explained. "You know, to prove yourself, get a little along the way..." He shrugged. "It hurts at first, but you get used to it, then it feels fucking amazing. That's just what happens when you're really horny and into it."

  
  


“But I didn’t just wake up and say ‘gee, I think I’ll summon a hot incubus to come fuck my brains out’,” Changkyun protested. “And it wasn’t like you were doing anything other than massaging my shoulders…” he shuddered as he remembered the warm touch.

 

"Biology isn't exactly my strongest forte. Endorphins, I guess? You were getting pretty relaxed."

  
  


“It felt good,” Changkyun admitted. “Really good. Relaxing. I guess I have a lot of tension most of the time.”

  
  


The demon slung a friendly arm over the mage's shoulder. "So don't feel bad that you enjoyed it."

  
  


“But this isn’t what I came here for. I’m really sorry you got dragged into this,” the young mage said quietly, the weight of the demon’s arm across his shoulders oddly comforting. And Wonho still smelled really good.

 

"More fun to be up here, honestly," he admitted. "Torturing the lustful gets old."

  
  


Changkyun arched an eyebrow. “So that’s all you do? No wonder you don’t mind deflowering a virgin..” he added wryly.

  
  


"A cute one who isn't turning to a demon as a last resort, either."

  
  


The mage sighed. “First of all, I’m not cute. You said before that I’m a nerd and a loser. Second, who says you aren’t a last resort? No one else has wanted to even kiss me, much less do more than that…”

  
  


"Nerds and losers can be hot, nerd-loser," Wonho strung together. "And you just told me a dozen times that you didn't want to summon me."

  
  


“Doesn’t negate the fact that no one around here wants me - except you, but that’s your job, isn’t it?”

  
  


"My job is torture. This is a vacation.”

  
  


“But it’s kind of like torture too,” Changkyun reasoned. “You offer me something that no one else will give me…..and then you’ll leave so if I do like it I can’t have it again. You get what you want - which I guess is me, for some strange reason - and I end up with just a memory.”

  
  


"So I can be the hottest ex you ever had?" Wonho asked. "Look, unlike that chick with the huge tits in your alchemy class, I'm bound to you. Either you banish me - which you can't, or I'm satiated and can leave on my own - which doesn't happen."

  
  


“Don’t say anything bad about Sunny. She’s nice,” Changkyun said with a scowl. While it was true that she did have big boobs that still didn’t mean Wonho had to be crude about it. “But you said I am a vacation - don’t you have to go back to work?”

  
  


"You can be nice and have huge tits. I didn't say bitch with the huge tits," he pointed out. "You're work, but you're a vacation from the regular work. Told you, torturing the lustful gets really repetitive after a while. There's only so many ways you can mutilate 'em."

  
  


“So I’m work for you…..do you plan on torturing me too?” the younger man asked curiously.

  
  


"I could cuff you and have my way with you," he said thoughtfully. "Course you might actually enjoy that."

  
  


Changkyun stared at the demon, his cheeks growing warm. “Stop joking, Wonho. This is just about you fucking me.”

  
  


"Well fucking is part of being tied up...."

 

The human wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “If I don’t like something will you stop?”

  
  


"Long as you tell me you don't like it. I can't read minds."

  
  


Changkyun nodded. He couldn’t believe he was actually considering this…

  
  


"So...." Wonho drummed his fingers on Changkyun's shoulder. "Feel like a nice fuck, Changkyunnie?"

  
  


The demon’s fingers grew warm again and it felt just so damned _good_. Shyly he reached up to cover he incubus’ hand with his own. “Yeah….I mean, after all, you did prep me and everything.” He tried to be nonchalant but his voice came out a lot softer than he meant for it to be.

  
  


"It's going to feel really good, I promise." Wonho easily intertwined their fingers and squeezed his hand. "I'll make you very happy that I'm no fire imp."

  
  


“Your fingers are still pretty warm though. I like it,” Changkyun admitted. 

  
  


Wonho leaned over to breathe over his ear. "So imagine how nice and warm my cock would feel inside you."

  
  


Changkyun shuddered, inwardly horrified when a soft whimper escaped his lips. He felt so _small_  with the demon so close to him.

  
  


"Do you want that?" Wonho's voice was still low, his hand drifting back towards Changkyun's cock.

  
  


“Yes…” he breathed out. “I want it, Wonho.”

  
  


"Your body's telling me that, too. Get comfortable." His hand closed around his cock, resuming its rhythmic stroking.

  
  


The mage moaned, his legs falling apart a little more as he leaned back, head resting on the demon’s shoulder.

  
  


That was what Wonho liked to see - a good, pliant sub who was utterly beholden to his needs. He pressed forward, nestling his cock at the small of the human’s back. "Going to need you to lift up if you want a ride."

 

The ward thrummed a warning once more but it was half-hearted at best, as if the magic already knew that the incubus had won. Changkyun shifted as he was told, placing himself in the incubus’ lap, Wonho’s muscular chest flush against his back. The other’s cock pushed against his entrance. All he had to do was sit back….

  
  


Wonho's eyes half-closed, the heat that pulsed against the tip of his cock more than welcoming. His hands moved towards the other's hips, providing guidance (and hoping that this time, he didn't have second thoughts). "All right, gorgeous. You get to control the rest."

  
  


Changkyun swallowed and nodded. He paused for a moment, then slowly lowered himself. The tip that had been pressing against his entrance thickened and the mage moaned as Wonho entered him inch by inch.

  
  


"Fuuuck, you're gonna milk my cock dry," Wonho swore softly, releasing his hips to let gravity do the work. "Hear that, nerd? You're hot."

  
  


Changkyun wasn’t going to sugarcoat it - it hurt like a motherfucker, feeling like he was being split apart by the incubus’ thick cock. He tried to slow his descent a bit but gravity wouldn’t allow it, his body sinking until Wonho was completely buried inside him. “Shit….” he breathed out, blinking back a few unintentional tears as he tried to relax.

  
  


"Take your time, easy," Wonho murmured, the words faintly echoing in his head, all the way back to the first time he had said them - but no, he couldn't think about that. That was dead and gone.

  
  


“Hurts..” he whined softly, leaning back against the muscular demon. He turned his head so that his face was buried against Wonho’s neck, trying to let the cloying scent that surrounded the incubus calm him.

  
  


"I know, I know," The demon cooed, his hand reaching up to nestle in Changkyun's hair. "You're doing just fine." He hadn't said that...where was that coming from?

  
  


“So full….” Changkyun muttered, lips brushing against the demon’s neck. The pain was slowly starting to subside into a dull ache “How did I get all of you in me? You’re fucking huge…”

  
  


The demon shivered pleasantly, Changkyun's lips sending pulses through his skin. "You can stretch a lot farther than you think when you want it. Don't ask me how I know."

  
  


“So it wasn’t magic? You didn’t do something to me other than slick me up?”

  
  


"Wasn't magic," he confirmed. "That's all you."

  
  


Changkyun wriggled a little in the other’s lap, gasping when the length inside him brushed against something that made him see stars.. “Oh, my…”

  
  


"Hell of a lot better than fingers, isn't it?" Wonho rolled his hips forward, matching the other's movements. "Try going up and down a little. I'll help..." His hand circled Changkyun's cock, offering a pleasant addition to the sensation.

  
  
  


Changkyun moaned as thick fingers curled around his erection and he shifted upwards, the moan deeper and longer when he sank back down, that little bundle of nerves once again stimulated.

  
  


"Like that," Wonho purred out, encouraging him to start going faster. "Show me how much you love being fucked hard."

  
  


The younger man repeated the action as he was told, moving up into the stroking fingers and back down onto that thick cock. It wasn’t long before he was nearly bouncing in Wonho’s lap, moans and whimpers spilling from his lips shamelessly.

  
  


It had been ages since he had really enjoyed one of his 'clients', and the shameless moans and curses tumbling from his lips agreed as he thrusted as hard as he could into his body, hand working as quickly as he could. "Come, Channie," he growled. "Cause I'm about to go hard."

  
  


It was as if Wonho’s command was all he needed, the young mage coming with a cry, spilling over the demon’s fingers and his own abdomen as his body tightened around the length fucking into him.

  
  


Wonho's thrusts continued for a few seconds before he pushed the younger completely down, the sensation of being hot and surrounded pushing him to come deep into his body.

  
  


Changkyun found himself on his hands and knees, the demon’s large frame draped over him, cock still buried deep inside. It soon became too much and the younger man collapsed, carrying Wonho with him.

  
  


Wonho carefully maneuvered them so that he could lay on his back and keep Changkyun flush against him while he caught his breath. A strange sense of warmth floated through him - he had been so cold, so long…

  
  


Changkyun’s own breathing eventually slowed, slim frame curled back against the muscular body of the incubus. “Wow…”

  
  


"You're telling me..." Wonho examined his sticky hand, then made sure to catch Changkyun's eye as he popped his fingers into his mouth to lick clean.

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened as he watched the other,  a blush riding high on his cheeks. Impulsively he reached for the demon’s hand and brought one of Wonho’s finger to his mouth, lickng the sticky digit. He wrinkled his nose. “Salty…”

  
  


"You're going to have to use that tongue everywhere else on me," Wonho groaned. He was more than a bit impressed with his forwardness, and kept his finger on his lips even after it was released. "Yeah, it's not exactly a good ice cream topping."

  
  


“Eww, gross…” Changkyun muttered, yet didn’t pull away from the demon, resting comfortably against the bigger man.

  
  


"You get used to that, too -especially when you're on your knees to please, kiddo. So how're you feeling now that you're not a virgin and my cock is still very buried in your ass?"

  
  


The younger man paused to think about it, realizing that, yes, Wonho’s cock was still taking up residence in his ass. “Full and sore but not bad….and why is it still there?”

  
  


"You haven't pulled off of it, and you're on top of me," Wonho pointed out lazily. "When you do, take it easy. It'll sting."

 

“What if I just want to lay here for a bit?” Changkyun asked stubbornly.

  
  


"I'm not going to shove you off." Wonho traced the rim of Changkyun's lower lip. "I'm pretty comfortable myself."

  
  


Impishly the mage opened his mouth and licked Wonho’s finger once more, then sucked the tip into his mouth. He had no idea what he was doing but it seemed like a good idea at the time..

  
  


"Hmmm?" Wonho craned his neck to peer at the mage who seemed intent on showing off his skill. "Imagining that's my cock in there instead?"

  
  


He’d read about giving head but had no idea how to go about it. He just mimicked what Wonho had done to him earlier, taking the digit in deeper. As he did so he wriggled back against the demon.

  
  


Wonho let out a deep groan, already feeling the need rushing back as he rolled his hips in response. "You really want it, now that you've had a little taste..."

  
  


Changkyun moaned around the digit in his mouth, opening his mouth further to take in another. He had no idea why he was acting this way or why he wanted more….

  
  


He was blindly fed another, the demon offering quieter encouraging murmurs. "How about you lift off my cock for a second and spin around?" he suggested. "It'll be easier for me to see your technique."

  
  


The younger man obediently lifted himself, groaning as Wonho’s cock slipped out of him and cum trickled down his thigh. Oh, it definitely stung…

  
  


"Feel all empty now?" Wonho asked once Changkyun had maneuvered himself. "You'll want more cock soon enough."

  
  


Changkyun blushed as he found himself face to face with the smirking demon. “Does the sting go away?” he asked quietly.

  
  


Wonho nodded. "It'll go away. I'd be careful about how you walk or sit for the next couple of days, but it heals up, like anything else."

  
  


Changkyun sighed in relief. “Good….it hurts like a bitch…” he muttered.

 

 

"Good news is that the more you exercise it..." Wonho grinned wickedly.

  
  


“And I’m sure you’re going to volunteer for that exercise…”

  
  


"I don't see you refusing another ride."

 

Changkyun didn’t know what to say to that - because the incubus was right. As much as he ached right now, what had happened felt good and he wanted it again.

  
  


"But timing is up to you. I've got a feeling you'll come home from class and immediately strip for some fun time...."

  
  


The younger man arched an eyebrow skeptically. “How can you be so sure? I’m not that desperate.”

  
  


"Not about being desperate. It's all about being horny."

  
  


“But I’m not…..” Changkyun’s voice trailed off because even though he was inexperienced there was no way he could deny that he had been horny only moments ago.

  
  


Wonho raised his eyebrows. "You were just sucking on my fingers like they were my cock."

  
  


If Changkyun hadn’t been blushing before, his cheeks were certainly on fire now. “You aren’t going to let me forget that, are you?”

  
  


"Nope. Demons have a _very_  good memory, kiddo."

  
  


“Just my luck,” the younger man groaned out, reaching up to run fingers through his mussed, sweat damp hair. He certainly looked different from the nerdy computer hacker-slash-mage who had entered Kihyun’s home hours before.

  
  


"And your buddy Kihyunnie has  _very_   good hearing," Wonho chuckled. "Bet he's regretting that now..." Who wouldn't, when they would have to listen to Changkyun's moans and not be part of them?

  
  
  


Changkyun frowned, reminded that he didn’t know the archmage as well as he thought he did. “I’m sure he doesn’t give a fuck, Wonho. I’m just some kid who begged him to monitor me - and I’m sure he’s already called to tell them I’ve failed. He left this room quickly enough..”

  
  


"No, he doesn't give a shit about the university," Wonho said, unthinking. He had to put all of that behind him, he knew it…

  
  


“Well, then I’m on par with the university, aren’t I?” the young mage said with a shrug, looking around for his clothing. “Besides, I still failed.”

  
  


"You'd be surprised, I'd think," Wonho pointed out. "I mean, he did let you summon a demon in his home - and stay here."

  
  


“Like he had much of a choice after I summoned you...you could have easily killed me by now and the archmage is nowhere to be found. Not to mention he’s not the ‘ancient’ mage he lets everyone believe he is,” Changkyun muttered, groaning when he bent down to pick up his boxers. He wouldn’t admit it, but the young man was hurt by Kihyun’s actions.

  
  


That, Wonho knew, was a choice he didn't want to make. "One, incubi aren't in the killing mood most of the time. And two, why are you putting those on when you'll just be taking them off again?"

  
  


Changkyun straightened, rolling his eyes as he looked back at the demon. “Unlike you, I have homework to do. The sex was good but it isn’t all about sex, you know…”

  
  


"So do your homework, I'll clean up, and we can have more sex," Wonho suggested. "Win-win."

  
  


The younger man sighed. “I’m not in the mood, okay?” The brief conversation about the archmage had killed Changkyun’s libido. He shimmied into his boxers and grabbed his laptop, curling up on the bed with his back against the wall and laptop propped on his knees.

  
  


"You will be~" Wonho called out as he left the room, not bothering with clothes. Incubi were far more comfortable naked, anyway.

  
  
  


Changkyun shook his head and returned to his studies. However, he kept drifting back to what had happened earlier - not the sex, but Kihyun’s reaction to everything. He seemed to know Wonho….and why had he lied about his age? If he was 30 like the demon said, then he should know computers and telephones and all the modern technology. Why was he acting like he didn’t?

  
  


_And why didn’t he try to help me?_


	5. Secrets and Smartphones

_Your services are not required at this time. I will summon when needed._

 

That note, written in a copperplate script from another time, was quietly hung on Changkyun’s door, and the archmage had made himself scarce. There was, in fact, very little evidence that someone lived there aside from the meals that seemed to appear like magic, hot and tempting. Still, there were more services to perform – the promised payment for his tattooed ward.

 

Hakyeon’s tattoo shop was just as busy and thriving as ever, the fae proprietor always ready to chat and gossip while Changkyun updated the shop’s computer systems.  It provided a welcome relief from the quiet house (except for Wonho, who was _always_  there, _always_  horny, and _always_  filling his hard drive with porn, particularly the ones with subs who looked just like Changkyun.) 

 

“So having fun with your new demon friend, huh?” Hakyeon greeted, the umpteenth time Changkyun had entered with a very ginger step. “Still need to be careful with him, even if you are in an archmage’s home.”

  
  


Changkyun winced as he tentatively sat down on the edge of the seat in the tattooist’s shop, the ward at the small of his back giving off the magical equivalent of a sigh. 

_Some good you did me…..don’t know what you are sighing about._

  
  


“You wouldn’t even think I was in an archmage’s home though,” the boy muttered as he booted up the hard drive and tested for physical - and magical - viruses.”He’s never around. He doesn’t talk to me - didn’t even tell me he gave me a passing grade in the class. I only found out when Ignatius gave me my grade.”

  
  
  


"Why wouldn't he pass you? You did successfully summon - just not the kind of summon you wanted, or maybe you do, now." Hakyeon chuckled and reached for his sketchbook, inspiration suddenly striking. "Ki's being an iceberg still, huh? Still mad about his text?"

  
  


Changkyun scowled. “I did NOT want to summon a horny incubus who thinks sex needs to follow every meal because “everyone needs dessert” or that I really need 68 videos on my hard drive with bottoms that just so happen to look like me and who are doing things that have to be uncomfortable. I was stupid enough to ask him why 68 videos. He of course said that the 69th was for us so we could show everyone ‘how it was done’.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand why Kihyun is doing this though. I mean, it’s pretty obvious he hates me but then why let me stay in his house with the horndog?”

  
  


Hakyeon stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Are you serious? You've got like the best incubus ever! Maaaan, I'm going to have to tell Wonshik about this one. Think you could send them over to us?" He stopped his cackling long enough to pick up his pencil. "Why do you think he hates you, anyway? Made fun of him being an old coot who doesn't know what a video game is?"

  
  


Changkyun glared at the fae. “Hyung, your are _not_  helping. If you want him, you can have him. My ass hurts.” Thinking of the archmage just made the younger man sigh again. “But that’s just it - I don’t know what I did wrong. And according to Wonho, Kihyun isn’t old at all….why would that make him avoid me?”

  
  


Hakyeon continued to sketch quietly, a thoughtful expression forming on his face. "How did you react when you found out that he's only thirty? It's true," he confirmed. "Kihyunnie's not some wizened archmage yet."

  
  


“I was upset,” Changkyun admitted. “He always just let me assume that he was a lot older. He doesn’t know how to send texts and refuses to get a cell phone or a computer. Nobody who is 30 acts like that.” The mage paused. “Of course it was also right after I summoned an incubus who was after my ass from the moment he stepped out of that blue cloud. Your ward didn’t do jack, by the way. Wonho said it was like a welcome sign.”

  
  


"The ward didn't burn at all when a demon was near?" Hakyeon looked surprised. "It should. I can recharge it for you, no cost." He flipped back to his original design, studying the intricacies carefully to make sure he hadn't made a mistake. "Kyunnie, what do you know about the old magic families?"

  
  


“It was warm but not much else,” Changkyun admitted. “Hyung, I’m an orphan who has no idea who my parents are. I have no fucking clue about the rich and powerful.”

  
  


"It's a low-level protection, I can up it if you want," the artist offered, already working embellishments into his sketchbook. "That should help. Anyway, old magic families are obsessed with one thing and one thing alone - and that's having one of their progeny named archmage. So everything's magic then. They don't get electricity, their child should be able to create light. No computers, the only information they care about is in spellbooks. Hell, even having a pen is an improvement, and they only got fountain pens after it became almost impossible to find a quill. They grow up like it's the 1200s."

  
  


“But why would he care that I’m upset with being lied to? I’m not anything to him.” It made no sense at all to Changkyun. “Wonho seems to know him. Kihyun tried to call him by another name but the demon shut him up.”

  
  


"Because archmages aren't like other mages their age," Hakyeon explained patiently. "So when your demon told you his real age, and you were rightfully pissed, the spell was broken. He doesn't act like he's a hundred for fun. It's to protect himself so that people are more understanding when he doesn't know much of anything about the modern world." He paused. "Another name, huh? He did do some demon summoning when he was in university."

  
  


“But why is he avoiding me? Yeah, I was mad but if he’d just explained to me I wouldn’t have been mad for long. I’ve tried to help him with computer and phone stuff but he just pushes me away…” Changkyun sighed. “He said something about his friend trying to summon but the spell going wrong….”

  
  


"It's hard to confront someone when you don't have any reason to object," Hakyeon said. "He's young, he's confused - hell, he nearly had a panic attack when he had to get electricity installed in his building, not that he probably uses it that often. His friend..." Hakyeon lifted his eyes to the ceiling, thinking. "Hoseok, that was his name. Shin Hoseok. Sweet guy, very ambitious. They were close."

  
  


Changkyun frowned, feeling guilty that he told the archmage that he needed to keep up with technology or he’d fall behind. “So what exactly happened with that Hoseok guy?”

  
  


"He passed away, as far as I know," Hakyeon murmured. "A bad summon was all Kihyun would say about it, and no one wanted to press him. Between you and me, I think they were a little more than just friends."

  
  


“Oh…” the younger man said softly. “And then a stupid kid comes and asks him to supervise him summoning another demon…”

  
  


"But he did it - hell, you did it - that's a big step."

  
  


Changkyun snorted. “And what did that get me? A passing grade and an incubus who thinks I’m his personal fucktoy…”

  
  


Hakyeon raised an eyebrow. "They don't fuck you unless you flat out agree to it. "

  
  


“They have to have some kind of persuasive power,” the younger man murmured, not meeting the fae’s eyes.

  
  


"I'm no demonologist," Hakyeon admitted. "However, since I'm half-Unseelie, I can say that a fae demon is more attuned to their own emotions than those of others. I'm guessing a demon-demon would sense what you want and act accordingly."

  
  


“But I never said I wanted to be fucked senseless, hyung.” Changkyun blushed even thinking about what he had done with the incubus - and how good it had felt.

  
  


Hakyeon smiled and passed over his modified design. "It's about desires that you don't even think about - and I'm guessing that you enjoyed it. Here, this is a stronger version. Should make any normal demon repelled."

  
  
  


The mage stared down at the design. “But….it won’t repel Wonho, will it?” he asked quietly. 

  
  


"It would, if that's what you want. Is it?"

  
  


“I….of course it is,” Changkyun responded although he didn’t sound completely sure. 

  
  


"Why don't you think about it?" Hakyeon suggested, sensing the uncertainty. "Tattoos are permanent, y'know. Why do you think I don't have any?"

  
  


“Okay, I will,” Chankyun replied, smiling when the fae’s gigantic dog came inside, resting his head on the boy’s lap. He ran fingers through the animal’s fur and scratched behind his ears. “He didn’t like me this much when I first came here…” he mused.

  
  


"Leo's working on his dog skills," Hakyeon explained. "Y'know, since we all have to pretend that werewolves don't exist."

  
  


Changkyun’s fingers froze behind the dog’s - no, the WEREWOLF’s - ear. “Um...hyung? Were you planning on telling me that Leo was a werewolf before this?” he asked, voice a little shaky and color drained from his face. 

  
  


~ _He’s forgetful at times, pup ~_  a deep voice calmly echoed in his head.

  
  
  


"What, I didn't tell you before?" Hakyeon reached out and gave Leo's chin a good scratch. "I guess I thought you'd figure it out, what with Leo and my big wolf-dog never being in the same room together. But yeah, one and the same. Just don't tell anyone not in our circle, please. No one wants to see him get stolen for research."

  
  


“I’d never do that,” Changkyun promised. “I was just worried before that he hated me.”

  
  


~ _Never hated you, pup. You just smelled very different at first. Had to get used to you.~_  the werewolf replied, nuzzling Changkyun’s hand in apology.

  
  
  


"And if we pretend Leo here is Kihyunnie, I think we have the same situation." The fae could hear the wolf's voice loud and clear, benefits of his connection. "You're coming with everything different that he knew to fear...and now he's gotta get used to you."

  
  


Changkyun frowned. “But why won’t he even talk to me? I know I’m not as important as Kihyun is but I’m not _that_  terrible, am I?”

 

The boy looked so distressed that Leo nudged him with a soft whine, the huge wolf-dog licking his face and murmuring something to Hakyeon about lost, lonely pups.

 

"You're not terrible at all," Hakyeon soothed. "I don't think so, Leo doesn't - he's calling you a pup, which I've found is the second-to-highest form of werewolf endearment. Maybe he's just scared he doesn't live up to your standards?"

  
  


“But I don’t have any standards, other than just not treating me like I’m shit because I’m an orphan and have nothing. That’s all I’ve ever really asked for and most of the time people still look at me like I’m trash.” Changkyun sighed. “I’m used to it. Things got a little better after I was accepted at the University but people still look down on me. I guess maybe that’s part of why I wanted to be able to summon a demon - it would set me apart in a good way. Prove that I belong where I am.”

  
  


"You're smart, and you do what he can't - straddling the line between the now and the arcane. I'm sure that you probably intimidate a lot of your old magic peers, too." He glanced at the clock. "The bookshop's supposed to be open, still, and I don't know where else he'd go. Why don't you head over? You both deserve answers, I think."

  
  


Changkyun scoffed. “I’m sure I don’t intimidate anyone, hyung. I’m a skinny little nobody computer nerd who wants something he can’t have. I’m good at magic but I’ll never be great.” He got up, giving Leo another scratch behind the ear. “I’ll go over there - he’ll just kick me out or totally ignore me but at least I’ll have tried.”

  
  


"And that's the important thing, right? Look, if you are kicked out we don't mind housing you. Leo wants you as a pup, so there you go." Hakyeon insisted.

  
  


“I come as a package deal, hyung,” the mage reminded him. “Buy one skinny mage, get a horny, buff incubus free.”

  
  


"Like I don't deal with horndogs all the time," Hakyeon scoffed. "I'm fine with an incubus, too."

  
  


“Thanks, hyung….” Changkyun murmured, then looked down at Leo. “You too, hyung.”

  
  


Hakyeon watched the young mage leave, a smile on his face as he offered the were more welcomed scratches. "You'll want him as a pup anyway, won't you?"

  
  


~ _He needs someone to look after him. He’s a pup,~_  Leo reasoned.

  
  


"Well of course we'll watch over him, but you've always wanted someone to call pup since that slot's unfilled in your pack," Hakyeon pointed out. "We'll stay up, see if he comes back."

  
  


The werewolf snorted in satisfaction, resting his head comfortably on Hakyeon’s knee. He’d wait.

  
  


 

Changkyun knew he was dragging his feet, making the walk to the bookshop longer than it had to be. Finally he stopped at the door, surprised that the lights were actually on and the sign said “open”. Taking a deep breath, he pushed opened the door and slipped inside.

  
  


He was greeted not by Kihyun, but by the loud crunch of plastic under his feet. Scattered on the floor, in pieces was an odd array of electronics - a monitor, a clamshell cell phone, most of the carcass of the typewriter - those were the identifiable parts of the electronic debris. A chip board was suddenly hurled and smashed against the wall repeatedly before falling like he had lost control.

  
  


“Kihyun-sshi?” Changkyun called out, eyes wide as he took in the general chaos. He picked up some of the objects that were unsalvageable and put them into the bin by the door and stepped around larger pieces. “Is everything alright?”

  
  


There was only silence, along with frantic twisting, tapping, anything to get _something_  to work...

 

A smartphone suddenly zoomed from the corner furthest from the door, narrowly missing Changkyun’s head as that, too, prepared to meet its wall-smashing fate.

 

It was no use, Kihyun decided. He had spent virtually all of his time holed up in his shop, trying to master some kind of modern electronic and failing, sometimes before he could even turn it on. Now that his secret was out _and_  he couldn’t figure out anything that could make him seem like he functioned, he’d have to close up shop and move. It was better that way, he figured. No memories attached, he could do the typical archmage thing and hole himself up in some tower with books.

  
  


Changkyun quickly whispered a spell and the smartphone froze just before impact, the young mage able to take it in hand, holding it like a precious object as he picked his way through the rubble until he found the archmage. “Kihyun-sshi?,” he murmured softly again, then impulsively added “hyung?”

  
  


"Just go," came his voice, low and rough and unused to speaking. The archmage was slumped in a corner, resting his head on his knees.

  
  


It hurt the mage to see Kihyun like this - this wasn’t how the archmage was supposed to be, whether he was 30 or 300 years old. Changkyun moved closer, stopping only when he was only a foot or two away. He squatted down beside the older man, holding the smartphone out to him. “I can help you learn if you’d like…” he offered quietly. “I mean, I’d really like to.”

  
  


"Why? You know, soon everyone else not involved will know that I can't function worth a damn," the archmage muttered. "It's not just electronics. Banks. The subway. Mundane money."

  
  


Changkyun shrugged. “I don’t know how to get around in your world either. I don’t know formal magic - I’m basically flying by the seat of my pants since I have a little natural talent. That only gets you so far in the magical world, hyung.” He placed the smartphone in the other’s hand gently. “I’m serious when I say I want to help you. No strings attached. You gave me a chance when no one else would.”

 

Kihyun nearly recoiled from the touch, even the responsibility of having it in his hand terrified him. "Formal magic is all in spellbooks, that's easy enough," he said quietly. "If you weren't trying to rush your training, it would come in time."

  
  


The younger man sat down beside the archmage, taking back the smartphone and powering it on. “Easy for you, maybe. I don’t have all the time in the world. I need to prove that I can do this. I’m not sure what I’m going to do if I can’t.”

  
  


"You could make a good buck summoning succubi and incubi," Kihyun pointed out wryly. "Big market for it, and you seem to enjoy it well enough."

  
  


Changkyun felt his face grow warm and he looked away. “That was a low blow,” he murmured. “It isn’t like I can banish him and you won’t help me do it so I’m stuck with the horny incubus.” He refused anything more than that although his blush spoke volumes.

  
  


"I can't banish him. Easiest way would be to open a portal to hell and shove him through it, but that's something that's far over your skill level. I could, but I can't formally banish him." Kihyun still refused to look up. "And what you have there is that idiot thing Hakyeon forced on me. I canceled, he immediately puts it on his plan."

  
  


“So I’m stuck with him until he is supposedly satisfied,” Changkyun sighed, turning his attention to the phone in his hands. “This one isn’t too bad, Kihyun. I could just program it so you could call or text and that’s it. No other programs or apps or anything else you didn’t want.”

  
  


"Unless you introduce him to a friend who wants him. You can pass them along. Beauty and horror of the incubus, I suppose. The average one feels no sort of romantic love or connection. It's all about feeding and survival." Kihyun sighed. "Don't bother. Hakyeon'll bug me into getting some stupid..whatever on it."

 

“Maybe he’ll see someone he wants more than me. That shouldn’t be too difficult,” Changkyun reasoned. “And I can make it so that Hakyeon _can’t_  put anything on the phone that you don’t want. Just the basics, nothing more.”

  
  


"You'd be very surprised," Kihyun murmured. "Incubi can be quite loyal to their summoner, even if the average one can't feel anything. Sex is seen just as fuel." His head lifted up enough so that he could raise his eyebrow. "I don't think we're talking about the same Hakyeon."

  
  


“I’m no one special, hyung. I’m sure Wonho has realized this by now,” Changkyun replied, then smiled. “Hakyeon knows that if he pushes me too far I can mess up his computer system completely.”

  
  


"Well, leave it open anyway. I don't need to be teased more for having an old man's phone, even if I won't use it much," he said. "...He would have moved on by now if he was bored."

  
  


“The offer to help you still stands,” the younger mage replied. “And how do you know?”

  
  


"We've met," Kihyun replied tersely before changing the subject. "...So how do you text so I can tell Hakyeon to stop bothering me?"

  
  


Changkyun knew he wasn’t going to get any further discussing the incubus so he instead scooted a little closer to the archmage and typed in Hakyeon’s number. “Here, I’ll save his number here so you can pull it up later if you absolutely need to. Here is the text screen. What do you want to say?”

  
  


"Stop telling me to text you," Kihyun said. "....So what do you do?" He leaned over the screen, trying his best to not let his discouragement get the better of him.

  
  


Changkyun typed in the words, patiently showing the archmage what he was doing. “See, it’s just like a small typewriter here. When you are done you press the ‘send’ button here.” He did just that and sent the message. “I’m sure he will reply and then I can help you send another message back.”

  
  


Kihyun glanced at the typewriter that was half-mangled on the floor when a series of loud beeps startled him, Hakyeon sending what seemed like a thousand emojis at once. "Those aren't words!"

  
  


“That is because Hakyeon is stupid and flighty and speaks in emojis - those are faces that some people use to express themselves. I think they are stupid. I’d rather just tell people what I think. From the ones he’s sent I can tell he’s surprised and excited that you sent him a text.”

  
  


Kihyun poked at the keyboard, frowning as he took ages to tap out a simple message - 'use words!' "...Like that?"

  
  
  


Changkyun grinned. “Exactly! Now just press the ‘send’ button,” he added, showing the other and nodding in satisfaction as the archmage did just that. “You’ve got it.”

  
  


Kihyun continued to type carefully at his phone, while Changkyun's buzzed with a message from Hakyeon - ~I'll let Leo know we won't have to wait up for you and your horndog. :) ~

  
  


~ I agree with Kihyun. Use words. Thanks for everything hyung, and thank Leo too.~

  
  


Hakyeon sent off another string of emojis in protest, this time grabbing the oddest ones he could. A faint smile came over Kihyun's face for the first time in weeks. "...This isn't so bad."

  
  


Changkyun looked over and smiled. “Just remember, you don’t have to use all those smilies and things. You can just type what you want and it will get to the other person in seconds. You are doing great.” He paused. “You can even practice sending to me if you want my number.”

  
  


Kihyun stared at his phone, clumsily navigating to the address book. "...What is it?"

  
  


Surprised that the other accepted his offer, Changkyun gave it to the archmage, making sure Kihyun entered the number correctly. “You can also ask me any questions you want about any of this stuff - or anything else, really. I don’t mind.”

  
  


Kihyun typed a timid 'hi', just to make sure that it worked. "...Guess I should clean up, since I'm not going to sell this place off just yet."

  
  


~Hi, hyung. You are doing great!~

 

“I can help you clean up if you want. I think some of this stuff is still salvageable.”

  
  


Kihyun smiled and carefully tucked the phone in his pocket. "...I did say I would let you know when your services are requested. I think this would be one of those times." He sighed and picked up a destroyed piece of plastic. "...I had a lot of time to attempt on my own."

  
  


“It’s a lot of stuff to learn,” Changkyun agreed as he studied the typewriter - unfortunately it was a lost cause but the monitor and desktop didn’t seem so bad. “But there is no harm in asking for help - and I won’t tell anyone else if you don’t want me to.”

  
  


"No one else," Kihyun said firmly. "They all still think I'm thousands of years old anyway and weird for not being in a tower yet...truth is, I was about to sell and do that, several hundred years early."

  
  


“Alright then,” Changkyun said with a nod. “It’s our secret.” He asked for nothing in return, continuing to clean , separating items he could save from those that were a lost cause.

 

"There are...benefits and drawbacks to the old magic families," Kihyun said as he carefully swept up broken shards of glass. "Our magic is stronger due to the honing, but then there's the issue of the world around us. Hakyeon had to make me a chart showing me how to identify mundane money."

 

“At least it’s easier here than it was in what they used to call America. I guess before the money was all the same shape and color.”

  
  


Kihyun showed Changkyun the chart next to his lockbox, the money illustrations detailed (and full of teacher-Hakyeon cartoons). "...It's money, that's got to be the reason why you're trying to accelerate so quickly. Isn't it?"

  
  


“That’s part of it, yes,” Changkyun admitted. “I don’t know who my family was and I have nothing. I can’t stay in school if I don’t have money, hyung.”

  
  


"Why don't you apply to the memorial scholarship?" he suggested. "Considering I gave you a good recommendation for your course grade, you should be more than well qualified for it."

  
  


“Usually the memorial scholarship goes to the University council’s favorite. I’m betting I’m pretty much not on that list, hyung.”

  
  


"Or one recommended by an archmage whom the University is desperate to bring on staff."

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened. “I can’t let you do that, hyung. I know how much you hate the University and the faculty. It isn’t fair to you. I’ll manage. I was thinking about getting another part time job to see if that would help.”

  
  


"Giving a recommendation is not the same as taking a job there," Kihyun reminded, privately thrilled that he finally got to be someone's hyung. "And you need the four years plus highly recommended advanced training if you are interested at all in pursuing magic as a career."

  
  


“I’d like to find a way to meld magic and technology,” the younger man murmured. “I don’t want magic to fade away like some people think it will.”

  
  


Kihyun paused. "...It's because this is one of the very few bookstores like this left in the city, isn't it?" He stopped to sweep up a bit of grit and attempted to respond to one of Hakyeon's texts. "I don't see magic in these machines."

  
  


“I do,” Changkyun replied wistfully. “Technology is good….but it could be so much better with magic.”

  
  


"Like what, having one of these things creating fire?" The archmage looked confused. "I'd think that would be dangerous."

  
  


Changkyun shook his head. “No, like having some of the medical instruments heal better….or some of the food distribution units feed more people who don’t have enough.” Changkyun’s shoulders sank. “I know it’s probably stupid…”

  
  


"...That's not stupid," Kihyun said thoughtfully. "I suppose it's not something I think about very often, but I think that's a good use for magic in the mundane world."

  
  


“If people respected me as a mage then maybe they’d be willing to help…”

  
  


Kihyun tentatively laid a hand on the younger mage's shoulder. "If you put that in your essay, I'll be happy to write a recommendation to the council."

  
  


Changkyun looked at the other in surprise. “Are you sure, hyung?”

 

Kihyun nodded, the mage's mouth set in a firm line. "I like your ideas, and with more training, you can implement them. Of course that would mean more time at the shop, if you were so inclined."

 

The younger mage’s expression morphed from disbelief to hope. “I’d really like that...I like it here.”

  
  


"This all hinges on you filling the application and writing the essay, no matter the outcome," Kihyun said. "If you don't receive it, then you can continue with your plan and I'll train you myself. However, the official training will help cement you as a mage with a solid background...of course, I'd still be training you."

  
  


“I’ll figure out a way to pay you back for all of this too,” Changkyun replied, young face set in an expression of determination.

  
  


"You do have to finish teaching me about the modern world," Kihyun reminded. "All these new phones without buttons and computers and Hakyeon's weird smiley faces and eggplants..."

  
  


Changkyun laughed. “Ignore Hakyeon’s smilies. I’ll help you with anything you wish. Just think of me as your personal liaison to modern technology, hyung.”

  
  


"You're going to regret that," Kihyun warned, even as a smile touched his face. "I'm going to fai-oh." He awkwardly lifted his hand from the mage's shoulder, unaware that he was still holding on.

  
  


“You are NOT going to fail, not if I have anything to say about it,” Changkyun promised, missing the light but firm weight of Kihyun’s hand on his shoulder. 

  
  


"Well, if this was a test...I wouldn't do so well," Kihyun admitted. "Why don't I close up and we can go back to the house? You should get started on that essay."

  
  


“I will…..if a certain someone will let me,” Changkyun muttered to himself as he took the garbage to the bin outside.


	6. Study Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some smut and BDSM in this chapter. Nothing too intense but I figure a warning won't hurt.

"This suuuuuucks," Wonho whined later that night as he sprawled on Changkyun's bed in comfortable sweats and a t-shirt he had stolen from the mage (even if the tee still looked like it was painted onto his muscles). He was hard at work, which was good, but definitely not the way that the incubus liked. "Gotta be such a nerd."

  
  


The mage paused in his essay to roll his eyes, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. “Just knock it off, Wonho. You fucked me twice yesterday and twice the day before. I need to get some work done if I’m going to keep this skinny ass fed, which will then keep _you_  fed.”

  
  


"You act like you don't like it or something," the incubus grumped. Still, he grabbed one of the books Kihyun had lent out, surprisingly not trying to jump him while he worked.

  
  


“It isn’t that I don’t like it,” Changkyun murmured. “I just have other things I need to do. My life isn’t just about sex, as good as it is with you.”

  
  


"At least you're admitting it's good now," Wonho bragged, proud of his accomplishments. "My life didn't used to be only about sex...but that was a good part of it."

  
  


“Well, I have no one else to compare to,” the mage said with a slight smirk, then looked up at the other curiously. “What else was it about? What else did you do?”

  
  


"Magic. I was a mage," Wonho admitted, figuring that Changkyun wouldn't piece together the details. "Did a spell too advanced for me, ended up as an incubi. My demon form's pretty cool, but I miss doing magic that wasn't just about sex."

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened. “So if I had messed up even more than I did when I was summoning you I could have turned into a demon?”

  
  


"There was a chance, but quite slim. You did have a skilled archmage helping you out, one that's very knowledgeable about demons," Wonho pointed out.

  
  


“With my luck I would have been turned into a fire imp,” Changkyun said with a groan.

  
  


Wonho made a face. "That would've sucked. They're constantly summoned, and not for the fun stuff." He turned the page, mouthing the incantations to himself, just like how he used to study.

  
  


“As nerdy as I am, I’m glad I’m stuck in this form.”

  
  


"It's a pretty hot one," Wonho agreed. "Human turned demons have a lot of advantages over regular demons - or disadvantages, depending on who's talking. Demons generally don't have emotions other than lust or hate. We keep ours. Makes it hard to torture."

  
  


Changkyun blushed at the other’s compliment - it still felt weird for anyone to call him hot, even a perpetually horny incubus. “Do you remember your previous life?”

  
  


"Yeah...that's the other torture," Wonho admitted. "Seeing all these people I've met, knowing my history with them, but I've got to keep quiet. I've seen a bunch of double-takes, but the me that they know-well knew, is for all intents and purposes dead."

 

“Does anyone know you are a demon?”

  
  


"You do," Wonho pointed out. "Clearly Kihyun does."

  
  


“Did he know you before? Were you close?” Changkyun paused. “Sorry, that probably isn’t proper to ask. He just seems so sad sometimes.”

  
  


"...We were acquainted, I think my appearance made that clear." While he had no problems taunting Kihyun (and announcing one of his deepest secrets to his apprentice), there were certain things that he felt were still being kept private.

  
  


The mage nodded. “Yes…..he seemed upset to see you.”

  
  


"Wouldn't you be, if someone you knew came back from the dead...but wasn't?" Wonho asked.

  
  


“And it didn’t help that you revealed his real age to me…that was pretty shitty of you.”

  
  


"I _am_  a demon," Wonho reminded. "And he was doing better when I transformed, figured he had finally dropped the act. He went driving with me once or twice...damn, I miss my car."

  
  


“Yeah, you are a dick sometimes,” Changkyun replied. “I think he’s been keeping to himself too long. I’m going to help him acclimate to the modern world.”

  
  


"Sometimes puts it lightly." Wonho cracked a smile. "Yeah? That's good of you. He's hard to teach, but once you break through..."

  
  


“He’s offered to write a recommendation for me,” the mage added, still a bit stunned by the offer. “I never expected that.”

  
  


"Yeah? What're you being recommended for? That's pretty big, if he trusts you that much."

  
  


“There’s some memorial scholarship that they give away every year. It usually goes to some relative of the council members though….”

  
  


"Huh, that wasn't around when I was there. Well, fuck the council, you should get it. Not just on the basis of you being sexy as fuck."

  
  


Changkyun laughed. “You don’t even know if I’m a good student or not.”

  
  


"You're good enough to get the attention of the best archmage I ever met, so that goes without saying." Wonho scooted to the edge of the bed, closer to Changkyun's chair. "So you should apply. Seriously, a first year not from an old magic family summoning a greater demon? That's unheard of."

 

“That wasn’t exactly on purpose you know. You are definitely a funny looking fire imp.” He sounded grumpy but Changkyun was actually flattered by the compliment.

  
  
  


"You're a funny looking human," Wonho teased before grasping his hand. "Got these long fingers and talented tongue and tight ass...and doesn't think he's a sub, through and through."

  
  


Changkyun scowled although he didn’t pull his hand away. “I’m not a sub, okay? Do we have to go over this again? Stop distracting me - I need to get this essay done.”

  
  


"I'll stop distracting you for now on one condition." Wonho leaned in closely, his forehead gently knocking against Changkyun's.

  
  


“What’s that?” the mage asked quietly, a shiver running down his spine as Wonho’s warm breath tickled his skin.

  
  


"You," the demon rumbled, his eyes locked on the mage, "are going to watch one of the videos that I downloaded just for you. With me."

  
  


Changkyun’s breath caught. He’d read some of the titles of those videos…”Are you serious?”

  
  


"Very," Wonho confirmed. "Because I know that you're going to get achingly hard...and want to try a few things." The demon didn't move, his gaze still locked. "Even thinking about you watching it gets me hard."

  
  


Changkyun swallowed. “So you already have one in particular picked out?” he asked, trying to be nonchalant but he could feel his heart racing.

  
  


"There's one in particular that I think's going to make you beg to be tied up and blindfolded, all those sensations..." Wonho paused, trying to catch himself - but couldn't stop from impulsively kissing his ever-tempting lips. "That's your taste for now," he murmured. "Get your work done..."

 

_Shit_. Why the hell did the incubus have to be that way?

 

_Oh yeah, **incubus**_ , Changkyun reminded himself, trying to inconspicuously adjust his now too tight jeans as he tried to forget what the other had said, placing his laptop back in his lap with a sigh.

  
  


"And unzip those, you'll feel much more comfortable," Wonho suggested as he retreated back onto the bed with his borrowed book, biding his time while Changkyun worked - or tried to work.

  
  


Changkyun didn’t look at the demon, embarrassed beyond belief. He did, however, unbutton his jeans and let the zip down a little to offer some relief.

  
  


The demon seemed to barely notice, intent on picking up where he had sadly left off in his spell training. Kihyun had progressed at a fantastic rate, one that he knew he couldn't have come close to - but it was fun to cheer from the sidelines.

  
  


The essay seemed to be going well - or at least Changkyun had though so until he looked down at realized he had used the words ‘hard’ and ‘frustrated’ a half dozen times in the last two paragraphs. “Fuck…”

 

"That's what I'm here for," Wonho replied, peering up from the top of his book. "Frustrated already, Channie?"

  
  


“I’m just fine,” the mage gritted out, squirming in his seat and deleting the offending paragraph to start again.

  
  


"Or maybe you need some help?" Wonho offered. "I don't think grammar and spelling have changed that much."

  
  


“Stop distracting me,” Changkyun growled out, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a few deep breaths. _It’s just sex. I don’t need sex right now. I lived 18 years without it. Another night without it  is doable._

  
  


"I'm serious," the demon insisted. "That's how I hustled through school, you know. My side job was editing and proofreading."

  
  


Changkyun looked over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. “Really? Are you sure?” He turned his screen towards the incubus. “I’m not a lit major so I know I’m not very poetic...but any recommendations would be appreciated.”

  
  


"I'm serious, and I'm not going to turn your essay into something sexy." Wonho turned his attention to the screen, a thoughtful look on the demon's face. "Like here, this sentence," he pointed out. "I'd use 'challenging' instead of 'frustrating' when talking about you growing up. Committees like positive words depicting struggles."

  
  


Changkyun nodded, restructuring the sentence. “Yeah, okay, that makes sense,” he murmured, unconsciously leaning a little closer to the demon as he took the other’s advice.

  
  


The demon continued to edit, pointing out the few grammar mistakes and helping Changkyun clear up confusing sentences, his comments surprisingly useful. "I think all you really need is a nice ending sentence to tie it all up and you've got a winning essay."

  
  


“Oh, wow…” Changkyun said in surprise as he scanned the essay, looking up at the incubus with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Wonho.”

  
  


"See?" Wonho returned the easy smile. "A well-fed incubus is a very useful one...although I really haven't had to feed in weeks," he admitted.

  
  


The mage looked at him in confusion. “But isn’t that what you do whenever you are with me? Feed?”

  
  


"Well yeah, I feed off your sexual energy. But I also just...I really like having sex with you," Wonho admitted, a blush faint on his cheeks.

  
  


Okay, he had never seen and incubus _blush_. “You do? Even though I am - what did you call me - a noob at everything?”

  
  


"You can be a noob and still have good sex," he pointed out. "It's all about the connection."

  
  


Now it was Changkyun’s turn to blush. “Oh…” he said quietly.

  
  


"I don't have to feed that often, but it's fun...and you get cute and squirmy."

  
  


“I do not,” the mage whined, wincing once he realized how he sounded. “Shit, it’s like you bring out the worst in me..”

  
  


"Or the best..." Wonho hit 'save' on his essay, making sure the file was secure. "Now are you ready to hold up your end of the bargain?"

  
  


“My end of the….you were really serious about that?”

  
  


"Of course I am," Wonho insisted. "Gotta show you that all the things you want are normal."

  
  


“But I never said I wanted,” and with this Changkyun gestured at the black laptop screen. “Any of that stuff…” He’d snuck peeks through half-closed eyes the other times Wonho had put on videos but he couldn’t avoid the sounds that the actors on the screens made.

  
  


"Why don't I put it on," Wonho suggested while he stripped off his shirt, "and if you get embarrassed, you can just hide your face riiiight on my shoulder?"

  
  


“It’s never that simple with you,” Changkyun muttered but didn’t protest as the incubus turned on the video, settling back against the mage all shirtless and hot and shirtlessly hot and _I’m totally fucking rambling in my head and this is really, really bad…_

  
  


"It's always that simple," Wonho insisted, even as his arms curled protectively around Changkyun. The video he had selected (labeled 47 of 68), featured a submissive that looked strikingly like Changkyun - and a dom with electric blue hair.

  
  


“I’m sure that’s just a coincidence,” Changkyun muttered, taking care not to look too closely at the smaller of the two men on the screen.

  
  


"What do you think?" Wonho whispered into the mage's ear. "Look at how much he loves being tied up...and how nicely that Dom is taking care of him."

  
  


“It looks…..uncomfortable.” He almost said ‘interesting’ but managed to stop himself just in time. “How can someone like that? Isn’t that strange?”

  
  


"Not to me," Wonho said. "See, you start nice and slow like them...a few feathers, some ice...but there's a thrill in not knowing just what's going to hit you when. Heightens the senses."

  
  


“But you are an incubus, Wonho,” he reminded the other. “Of course none of this is strange to you. What if when you get tired of me I find someone else and they think that me liking this stuff is weird?” It slipped Changkyun’s notice that he’d essentially just admitted that he was intrigued by what he saw on the screen.

 

"Then that's not the person for you - not that I'd get tired of you." Wonho held the younger man close as the video played on. "If you want, we could try that...something nice and easy first, just some sensory play."

  
  


“You’re a demon - of course you are going to get tired of me,” Changkyun said quietly, swallowing as he watched the smaller man in the video moan as the other ran hands over his bound, bare skin. “You mean like just a blindfold or something like that?”

 

"That's not how that works, Channie." His arms tightened around Changkyun's waist. "A blindfold, maybe tying up your wrists if you're curious. Loose so it won't scare you too much."

  
  


“You said you would stay around until you were satisfied. I figured you would have left by now,” came the young mage’s response. He considered the incubus’ suggestion. “Maybe that wouldn’t be too bad. If I don’t like it you’ll stop?”

  
  


"Of course I'll stop," he promised. "Just like I always do when you're not feeling it. Just...I don't know, think of a word you'll never say during sex so I'll know to stop."

  
  


“Okay….” Changkyun finally agreed. “How about ‘virus’? Nothing sexy about that….”

  
  


"Unless it's a sexy virus..." Wonho teased. "Virus it is."

  
  


“There are no sexy viruses, hyung,” Changkyun replied, forgetting himself for a moment. He’d never called the incubus by such a familiar term before…

  
  


"Hyung?" Wonho started, pleased. "It's been ages..."

  
  


The mage’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m so sorry…” he apologized. “I wasn’t thinking. It just slipped out.”

  
  


"Why are you apologizing for something I liked?"

  
  


“I didn’t ask permission,” Changkyun replied. “I used to get in trouble when I was little, trying to pretend that some of the others at the orphanage were closer than they really were. I learned pretty quickly that I had no family.”

  
  


"You've got Kihyun now," Wonho pointed out. "...And you got me, if you want to have a demon as family."

  
  


“Well, you kinda wanna do stuff to me that family doesn’t do,” he said wryly, then he offered the other a smile. “But I get what you are saying. Thank you.”

  
  


"Well yeah, hard to resist sexy little Channie..."

  
  


Changkyun arched an eyebrow. “So you are going to keep calling me Channie, huh? That makes me sound like one of those guys...” He gestured at the screen with the bound sub.

  
  


Wonho watched for a few moments, rolling his eyes as the dom started pounding into the sub. "Yeah, but I'm way better than that."

  
  


Changkyun swallowed as he watched the scene. It looked…..brutal. “I hope you are - that doesn’t look fun right now.”

  
  


"Well, you'd know best, right?" He winked slyly. "I'm not the only person who likes to initiate dessert."

  
  


The younger man felt his skin growing heated. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he muttered, his eyes returning to the screen stubbornly.

  
  


"Oh, I do." Wonho leaned back on the bed, taking the mage with him. "Remember? You had just had your dinner, and you came back up here...and told me you were ready for dessert."

  
  


Wonho’s arm wrapped around his waist securely and he sputtered a protest as he felt the plushness of the bed beneath him. “I did NOT….I was just ready to take a nap. You know how that is….right?”

  
  


"Why are you embarrassed that you wanted to have sex with me?" Wonho asked gently. "I'm not embarrassed."

  
  


“I’m not embarrassed,” Changkun murmured. “I just don’t want to seem desperate.”

  
  


"Being horny isn't being desperate, it's being horny." Wonho picked up Changkyun's fingers again to play with. "Hell, I love it when you tell me how turned on you are."

  
  


The younger man shivered pleasantly as Wonho’s fingers began to caress his own. “It feels strange to be so turned on almost all the time whenever you are around...you just do something to me.”

  
  


"I'm just doing what I do..." Wonho hummed. "I don't deny that I am quite attracted to you."

  
  


“So are you saying it’s just because you are an incubus?” Changkyun mused, taking a deep breath and letting it go, his own fingers teasing the demon’s. “Would you be attracted to me if you weren’t?”

  
  


"I was...very much in love at the time of my transformation," Wonho admitted. "But if I hadn't been...you would be the first person I'd want."

  
  


“Even as a nerdy, overachieving baby mage?” he asked quietly, then added. “I’m really sorry that it happened to you, you know.”

  
  


"I was also a nerdy, overachieving baby mage." Wonho squeezed his hand. "Thanks, Channie. Supposedly there's someone working on some incredible spell to revert these kinds of transformations. Can't give up hope, right?"

  
  


“Would you like to be human again?” Changkyun asked. “I mean, I know you can do a lot more as a demon.”

  
  


"It...would be something to think about," he admitted. "If I could get the connection severed with the underworld, though...I could still be this weird hybrid that I am, but I'd get to be free from being an incubi that anyone can summon." He gently kissed their entwined fingers. "I like where I am."

  
  


“But that would break my summoning, wouldn’t it?” Changkyun asked softly. “But if it freed you then it would be worth it.”

  
  


"Demons have to be bound to something," he explained patiently. "If there were such a spell, I could potentially be bound to you - but I also know you'd let me do things. Practice magic again, drive..."

  
  


“Of course I would,” Changkyun said indignantly, gripping the demon’s fingers. “I’d never restrict you from anything like that. You still have free will.”

  
  


"And of course, cater to your every sexual need..."

  
  


“But what about your needs?” the younger man murmured, releasing his grip on Wonho’s hand and carefully tracing the other’s fingers shyly.

  
  


Wonho murmured his approval, his free hand catching underneath the hem of Changkyun's shirt. "I think there's a nerdy, overachieving baby mage who can help with that..."

  
  
  


“Blindfolded?” Changkyun asked softly, looking up and meeting the incubus’ eyes, helping the other pull his shirt up.

  
  


"Do you want me to blindfold you?" He tilted Changkyun's chin up, his dark eyes serious. "Or perhaps tie your wrists first?"

  
  


Changkyun paused to think about it. “Wrists first….please.” The thought of being restrained both worried and tantalized him.

  
  


"Let's get you out of those pants first," Wonho suggested. "Keep your underwear on for now, let's see if you like it."

  
  


The younger man stood and unzipped his jeans, shimmying out of the denim and kicking them away, leaving him clad in only boxer briefs that were getting a bit too snug.

  
  


"That's a sight I always like seeing," Wonho admired. He dimmed the lights and set some quiet music to play on Changkyun's laptop, trying to keep the young mage relaxed. "Come lie down. I'll take care of you."

  
  


Changkyun crawled back into bed, still not quite able to be as at ease with his almost completely exposed body as the demon was - of course, he looked nothing like Wonho, muscular and fit and probably the wet dream of every girl (and guy) he’d met, even in his prior human form.

  
  


"Remember, we can stop if you get nervous for any reason. I won't be upset," Wonho promised. He carefully took his wrists and bound them over his head with a loose knot, allowing Changkyun some wiggle room. "Feel okay?"

  
  


Changkyun tugged a little, sighing in relief when he noted that the fit wasn’t super tight or constricting. He took a deep breath and looked up, meeting Wonho’s eyes and giving him a nod. “Yes.”

  
  


"Good." Wonho kissed him with a surprising gentleness. A quick spell later and a piece of ice was in hand. _Keep it simple for now_ , he reminded himself. He dragged the ice lightly over his warm stomach, leaving a nice chilly trail behind.

  
  


Changkyun gasped as the demon slid the ice from his abdomen up to circle one nipple, his body jerking forward in response. “Oh…”

  
  


Wonho chuckled as he slowly circled around his nipples, his neck, down to his inner thighs - never quite touching his more sensitive spots, never providing relief.

  
  


As the ice left one area the change in temperature brought brief relief, only to subside when the demon brought the ice back again. Changkyun squirmed, tugging at the restraints as he could feel himself growing hard in response to the tormenting stimuli.

  
  


"Channie's enjoying himself," Wonho hummed, pleased. He let the slowly melting ice drip on each nipple, giving nothing but more torment.

  
  


“Hyung…” he whined, looking down and realizing that his cock was peeking out of the flap in his boxers and with his hands restrained he couldn’t hide it. In a way he felt helpless...he was completely at Wonho’s mercy.

 

Why did that both scare and excite him?

  
  


"Hmm?" Wonho looked down - and what he saw confirmed what he thought, that Changkyun was going to be a sub, through and through. "Oh, does your cock want some love?"

  
  


The mage tried to cross his legs to hide his erection, knowing already that the action was futile.

  
  


Wonho gleefully sucked the ice into his mouth, getting it as chilly as possible before taking it out and sliding his mouth over the head. He hadn't seen anything yet…

  
  


Changkyun cried out, hips arching off the bed as the contrast of the direct contact from the ice and the heat of Wonho’s mouth collided.

  
  


Wonho waited until the cold melted away into warmth before slowly straightening up to lock eyes with the mage. "That's just a tiny bit of sense play. Hot, warm, ticklish, rough...name it, I can do it."

 

The younger man sagged back against his restraints, his eyes wide and body still acutely sensitized. “Do you like doing it?” he asked breathlessly, holding back a single word he was tempted to say but still afraid to.

  
  


"Love it." Wonho's hands traced over his body, gently warming what was left of the trails.

  
  


Changkyun moaned softly, eyes unable to leave the fingers that seemed to linger on his skin. Why did it feel even better now? He knew part of it had to do with the change in temperature but it also had to be because it was Wonho.

  
  


"How are you feeling?" Wonho's hand had cupped his cheek, the demon's concern genuine. "Need the ties off?"

 

The mage shook his head, briefly looking up at the incubus. “No.” As he looked away he murmured another word under his breath, the single syllable thick on his tongue.

 

"What was that?" Wonho had caught another word, but couldn't quite make it out.

 

Changkyun knew his cheeks were hot with embarrassment and something else, his head turned away from the demon as he repeated the words. “No...Sir.”

  
  


"Channie," Wonho purred. "Look at me. I think you can see how much I like that." 'Sir' had always struck a chord with him - one that only caused him to grow hard.

  
  


Changkyun shook his head, avoiding the incubus’ gaze. He didn’t know where his need to call Wonho that came from and that unsettled him. Why did he say that?

  
  


"Channie." Wonho's tone gentled, trying again. "Please?"

  
  


It took several drawn out moments before the blushing mage would look up at Wonho, his expression clouded. He remembered how those people on the videos looked - he wasn’t that desperate. He refused to be that needy…

  
  


"You did this." Wonho easily stripped off his sweats, grateful that incubi never wore underwear.

  
  


He didn’t want to look, he really didn’t - and yet he couldn’t help himself, his eyes drinking in that perfect form, chiseled abdomen and thick thighs. And the rest…. Changkyun bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back a moan.

 

"There's nothing more that I love than a gorgeous, very responsive sub," Wonho soothed, easing himself back onto the bed to relax his sub. "It doesn't make you less of anything, Channie."

  
  


“But the ones in the videos,” the younger man murmured as the bed dipped beneath Wonho’s weight. “They are all whiny and just…..weak,” he struggled to find the right word and that was the only one that seemed to fit.

  
  


Wonho reached up and pulled the binding off his wrists - he could always replace it later. "And you're afraid that I'll see you as weak?"

  
  


Changkyun’s arms dropped down to his sides and he looked up at Wonho. “Yeah,” he admitted. “Just one more thing that proves I’m weak. I’m skinny, not very strong, nerdy, and now I’m like one of those guys in the videos…”

  
  


"Takes a hell of a lot of bravery to let me tie you up." Wonho brought Changkyun close, sensing that the younger needed to be held. "And to admit that you like giving up control."

  
  


“I’ve been independent all of my life,” Changkyun said quietly as he curled against the incubus. “I’ve had to be. No one else has been there to do what I needed to do to survive. Why do I need to give up control now? It doesn’t make sense, hyung.”

  
  


Wonho stroked Changkyun's hair as he thought, trying to prepare any kind of answer. "It doesn't have to make sense or define you. When we first had sex, you let me take control, right?"

  
  


“Well, yeah…..I also had no idea what I was doing and had a horny incubus fondling me.”

  
  


"And now that you know what you're doing and still have a horny incubus fondling you? You still let me take control. Are you ashamed of that?"

  
  


“But letting you take control and being submissive are different things, aren’t they?” Changkyun asked, confused.

  
  


"Well, they are - as a submissive, you have all of the control," Wonho explained. "I rely on you to tell me what you like, what you're uncomfortable with, when you need to stop."

  
  


“Do you like it when I let you take control?” he asked. “Isn’t it a lot of responsibility?”

  
  


"I do. It's responsibility, but it means you trust me - and that means a lot."

  
  


“I do trust you,” Changkyun murmured, then fell silent for several drawn out moments before taking in a deep breath. “Okay…..I want to try.”

  
  


"What do you want to try, Channie?"

  
  


“This being submissive thing….but I may not be very good at it,” he warned.

  
  


"You told me that when I first got you naked, and then proceeded to show me that you're a liar," Wonho teased.

  
  


The younger mage scowled. “Isn’t it a subjective thing, hyung? I don’t think I’ll be good at it. Hacking I can do, and fixing broken electronics. Hell, I’m even pretty decent at summoning demons. But being a sub?”

  
  


"It's the same thing, just doing what feels right," Wonho insisted. "Like what feels right to do, right now?"

  
  
  


“If you say so, hyung,” Changkyun said skeptically. He trusted the other (and he never, ever imagined that he would trust a demon) but this was still so different from what he expected of himself.

  
  


"So I want you to see. Relax, close your eyes if you have to. What feels right to you, right at this moment?"

  
  


“I just want to not have to worry about deciding. I worry about too much other stuff…..so it’s okay to just let go and let you have control, right?”

  
  


"Channie, deep breaths." The demon's tone was still gentle, but now with a certain firmness to it. "Clear your mind. You aren't going to fully enjoy yourself if you're anxious."

  
  


Changkyun did as he was told, breathing slowly as he closed his eyes, the demon’s warm voice surrounding him.

  
  


The demon's fingers gently kneaded his shoulders, letting the tension ease out. "I just want you to feel right now, all right? Let it all go."

  
  


Changkyun hummed his agreement, his shoulders sagging as he leaned back in bed with a sigh, the expression on his face one of vulnerability.

 

"Now tell me how you're feeling," he encouraged. "Anything in particular you want touched or kissed?"

  
  


“Relaxed. I feel relaxed,” the younger man murmured. “Kinda like all the tension is gone. I like it when you touch me everywhere, hyung - could you start by kissing me?”

  
  


"My pleasure," Wonho agreed. The demon gathered Changkyun back into his arms. His kisses were surprisingly tender, contrasting his usual hungry, all-demanding attitude.

  
  


Changkyun returned the kisses eagerly, sounds of pleasure muffled by the demon’s lips.  He reached up to thread fingers through that blue-tipped hair, restlessly tugging at it as the kisses deepened.

  
  


"That's my Channie," Wonho murmured, not thinking. He quickly pushed Changkyun's boxers off for better access for stroking his thighs and hips - he did say he wanted to be touched everywhere, after all.

  
  


Changkyun hissed softly as the cool air touched his heated skin. His cock, freed from his boxers, began to show signs of stirring again and he parted his legs as Wonho caressed his thighs so gently.

  
  


"What you're learning tonight is starting to submit," he explained. "It's about trust, and I'm showing you that I won't misuse that." He rubbed tiny circles into his thighs, his fingers surprisingly soothing.

  
  


Any worry seemed to fade away under the weight of the demon’s words - under _Wonho’s_  words.  He sighed, his legs falling open even further and his lips parting as he melted into the touch.

 

"My Channie looks so sexy right now," Wonho purred, his fingers easily slicking as he slipped two inside. He held himself back from utterly devouring the younger man - who wouldn't with someone so open?

  
  


This time Changkyun didn’t protest the words, lost in sensation and moaning as he was worked open by those long, thick fingers, ever grateful that the demon was so adept at magic.

  
  


His fingers were wonderfully warm as he explored his ever-familiar lover--was lover the right word? As an incubus, could Wonho even say he had one? The demon suddenly paused in his teasing, pensive.

  
  


Changkyun whined as the other’s digits stopped moving. He needed more. “Wonho…….Sir?”

  
  


_Shit_.  Wonho shook his head and offered an apologetic smile as his fingers slowly started to move again, a third one joining. "Sorry, Channie. I got lost in my own head for a moment."

  
  


“S’okay….” the mage murmured, groaning as the third digit was added. That was as far as they had gone before, the incubus usually pulling out his fingers and replacing them with his cock by now.

  
  


"So three fingers, a little extra treat." Wonho leaned over and kissed the mage, a small smile on his face. "Want more?"

  
  


“More?” Changkyun repeated against Wonho’s kiss. Three was already feeling so good…..he felt so full. And yet…”Yes...more.”

  
  


"You love a big thick cock," Wonho purred. "I thought you might like a big thick fist, too." He was careful in slipping his pinkie in, holding his fingers still.

  
  


Changkyun froze as he felt the 4th finger inching in. His breath caught and his body trembled as he willed himself to relax, Wonho’s lubrication spell assisting in helping him feel more comfortable. “So full….” he groaned.

  
  


The demon allowed his fingers to naturally curl inside, trying not to use any force. "Look down," he suggested when he felt the moment was right, just as his thumb began to disappear inside. "See how sexy you are."

  
  


The younger man opened his eyes as he looked down, just in time to see the demon’s thumb join the other digits inside him. “Oh, god……” he moaned in both pain and pleasure but much more the latter. In fact, what pain he did experience was more of a burning than anything else. “Your hand….all of it…..it’s inside me….”

  
  


"It is," Wonho hummed. His free hand closed around Changkyun's length, providing more welcome touches. "Slow and easy, Channie. Don't try to move too much right now."

  
  


“How…..how can I do this?” he whimpered. “How can it feel so good?”

  
  


"It's just an extension of what you already like," Wonho soothed. "That's why you feel good."

  
  
  


"But my body shouldn't be able to accept this much, should it?" he panted.

  
  


Wonho shook his head and slowly rotated his wrist, giving Changkyun some form of movement. "It can. You're relaxed enough."

  
  


Changkyun groaned, writhing in the bed, which only served to move the other's hand deeper inside.

  
  


"Tell me if it's too much," Wonho warned. His hand was still slow to move, careful not to withdraw it completely. "...But watching you fuck yourself on my fist..."

 

"It sounds so dirty," Changkyun whimpered, but that didn't mean he stopped.

  
  


"But feels oh so right, doesn't it?"

 

"Oh , yes....it feels incredible," he gasped out.

 

Wonho's hand sped up on his cock to provide his sub needed relief. "My Channie wants to come?"

 

"Yes, please.....please..."Changkyun whimpered as he rocked back and forth shamelessly.

 

Wonho pushed his hand in just a fraction deeper, holding it there firmly. "Let go."

 

Unable to resist Wonho's command - or his body's need, Changkyun came with a cry, clenching around the other's fist.

 

"Oh god..." Wonho gasped, the sheer force of Changkyun's orgasm nearly making him come himself - he had rarely fisted anyone, and never had anyone pulsed and shuddered so much around his hand. He slowly worked his hand out and returned onto the bed to tug him close.

 

Changkyun collapsed against the incubus, panting softly as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. "I.....god, Wonho......"

  
  


Wonho pressed his cheek against his hair. "I don't have to ask if you liked it."

  
  


"That was incredible,' he breathed out. "I didn't think I could do that..."

  
  


"I knew you could. And that is an example of surrendering your control...while still being in complete control."

  
  


"You made me feel comfortable...." Changkyun sighed. "Giving up control wasn't so bad," he admitted.

 

"It doesn't even have to be sexual - I do like it when it is..."

 

"Did you enjoy this?" he asked quietly. "I didn't really do anything for you..."

 

"Oh, right.." Wonho's hand worked his own cock, a pleased smile on his face. "I loved having you let go."

  
  


Fingers reached down to join Wonho's. "I can help you..."

 

"I'd like that, Channie." The demon's eyes closed while he tried to work out the thousands of thoughts scattered around his head.

 

Slim fingers worked up and down the incubus’ shaft, Changkyun running his fingernail lightly over the thick vein on the underside of his cock, his brow furrowed and bottom lip bitten in concentration.

  
  


The demon's cries were softer, pleased moans and shudders (Changkyun definitely learned quickly). "I love this," he hissed, his breath catching. "Channie..."

  
  


“Will you come for me?” Changkyun asked softly, leaning in closer. “Please?” He paused before adding, “Sir?”

  
  


_Sir_. There it was again, the word that finally helped Wonho tip into his own orgasm. Surprising for the brash demon, his moans were still low and soft even as he came.

  
  
  


Changkyun smiled, pleased that he could help the demon. No, that he could help _Wonho_. He was more than just a demon and, if the young man was willing to admit it, had been more than that for quite some time now.

 

"Just stay right here," Wonho whispered. His eyes were still closed, and a quick spell had cleaned them up. "Please."

 

“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere,” came the reply. “Besides, I don’t think my legs could carry me.

 

A smile touched his lips. "You know what I mean, my Channie." There it was again.

  
  


Changkyun hummed an affirmation in his low voice. “Yours,” he agreed, curling against the other’s larger frame.

  
  


Wonho sighed, a pleased sound as he suddenly felt warmer. "I've been calling you that in my head for a while now."

 

‘I like when you say it,” the younger man replied. “Does that sound cheesy?”

  
  


"To a lot of incubi, it would. Me...no way." He smiled. "I was always accused of being cheesy when I was human."

  
  


“Well, I’ll be yours for as long as you want me, then. How’s that for cheesy?”

  
  


"Plenty of it for me. You know...my partner, before the transformation, always called me cheesy. But I'd just say that I loved him and all was forgiven."

  
  


“Are you really that different from the human you? You sound pretty sweet right now, hyung.”

  
  


"It's being here. Seeing people I knew as a human, still knowing this area...I suppose that and you are bringing out my old human side."

 

“I hope that’s a good thing,” Changkyun said wistfully. 

  
  
  


"Well...as an incubus, I wouldn't have stayed this long. We aren't supposed to form attachments."

  
  


The smile on the mage’s face faded. “I understand. I guess it’s not something demons do.”

  
  


"But I have," Wonho admitted before Changkyun could pull away. "Transformed incubi are tortured by being able to form connections - but when we're summoned, we're just used for sex and that's it. You're the first person whose name I've learned in a long time."

  
  


“That doesn’t seem very fair to you,” Changkyun replied quietly. “I bet you weren’t expecting anything too interesting when I summoned you.”

  
  


"What was I expecting? Another horny virgin who was desperate enough to lose it to a demon. Instead I got a nerdy baby mage who had no interest in sex...and was cute and sweet to boot."

  
  


“You know what I’m going to say - not cute,” Changkyun said with a fake scowl, then laughed. “Won’t deny I’m a nerd though - and you definitely made sure I was no longer a virgin.”

  
  


"I'm sorry, I forgot," Wonho teased. "Not cute, not hot, not sexy...and right, definitely no longer a virgin. You didn't even freak out that you lost it to a demon."

  
  


“Well, you were really pretty nice about it….and it felt really good. I will admit that you made me really, really nervous though.”

  
  


"Why? Were you afraid I'd steal you away to my home in the underworld?"

  
  


“Demons are kind of known for killing first, asking questions later. Or in the case of incubi - fucking first, then killing later…..and maybe questions as an afterthought.”

 

"Incubi stereotypes," Wonho shook his head. "We're the lovers, not the fighters. People who summon me are more in danger of me falling in love with them and stealing them away."

  
  


“That’s not what we are taught,” Changkyun replied. “You remember, don’t you?”

  
  


"I do. And yes, I do have the ability to fuck first and kill later, but the people who summon me are lonely." He shrugged. "I didn't have the heart."

  
  


“I want to tell you that I wasn’t lonely when I summoned you….but that’s a lie,” Changkyun admitted. “I guess I just wasn’t letting myself acknowledge it.”

  
  


"And you don't have to worry about me stealing you away to the underworld. I think you'd survive just fine, but you wouldn't be happy."

  
  


“Well, that would only happen if you fell in love with me, right?”

  
  


The demon paused, quiet. "...Only the stealing away part is a myth."

  
  


Changkyun looked at the other, confused. “So you fall in love with all of those who summon you but don’t steal them away?”

  
  


Wonho smiled, touched by how Changkyun could be so innocent and yet so dirty at the same time. "No, I don't fall in love with all of those that I summon. I suppose...I've only fallen in love with one."

  
  


“Oh…..did you steal him away then?” Changkyun paused, shaking his head. “No, that’s wrong of me to presume. It could have been a woman too.”

  
  


"Him, and no. He's still walking the earth." Wonho sighed. "But if he did want to steal away, I think he'd like the adventures in the world, but not the darkness."

  
  


The younger man sat up, wincing slightly as he shifted position and turned to face the incubus. “Have you tried to find him? I mean, if you still love him he would be worth it, right?”

 

"I know exactly where he is...he isn't far away. I'm not sure how he feels about me, though. I haven't asked."

  
  


Changkyun leaned closer to mock-punch the demon. “Then you should! If you love him and he loves you back then it’s perfect. If he says no then he wasn’t worth your time, Wonho.”

  
  


"All right then, love expert," Wonho teased, playfully punching him back. "How do you ask that?"

  
  


Changkyun blushed and laughed, leaning back in bed. “Recently former virgin and still nerdy mage. No one has ever loved me like that. I guess if it was me I’d want you to be honest and speak to me face to face.”

  
  


"Honest and face to face, huh?" Wonho slid back, meeting Changkyun's eyes. "I think...it worries me that he hasn't seen my demon form. Horns and piercings and all."

  
  


“Then he should. That’s part of you now, right? If he loves you then it shouldn’t matter.”

  
  


"Then...does it matter to you, Changkyun?"

  
  


“Of course not. If someone loved me it wouldn’t matter what he looked like as long as he was sincere and loved me no matter how awkward and nerdy and insecure I am.”

  
  


"Changkyun," Wonho met the younger man's eyes again and reached for his hand, not quite taking it. "I'm not asking that as a hypothetical."

  
  


“Oh…” Changkyun blinked multiple times, the words sinking in. “Ohhhh,” he repeated as Wonho tentatively reached for his hand. “I…...you really feel that way about me? You really love me?” It seemed so difficult to belief, that someone like Wonho, perfect and confident, wanted _him_.

  
  


"I...I understand if it's too much," Wonho stumbled, the confident demon's nerves showing. "Or you can't reciprocate, I'll understand that, too. I...I fell in love with you, Changkyun. Turns out I like awkward and nerdy and insecure mages."

 

The young mage reached for Wonho’s hand and clasped it. “I….I want to see you,” he said shyly. “I mean, your demon form. I want to see every aspect of the person I fell in love with.” The last words were said so softly, as if the boy was tasting them.

  
  


The smile returned to Wonho's face as he squeezed Changkyun's hand. "It's not that much different," he admitted. "I just...I fell, and I didn't want to scare you since I know what everyone's taught about demon forms."

  
  
  


“But a lot of what they teach is wrong, isn’t it? I mean, there are parts of you that are definitely what they say about incubi but the rest is so different.”

  
  


"Different types of demon, different tendencies. Some would definitely be considered monsters, some are just annoying, like fire imps." Wonho admitted. "Incubi and Succubi that are born that way have more of a tendency to fuck and kill, but those of us who were transformed retain some humanity. That's why we don't quite get along with the born ones."

  
  


“I’m pretty fortunate that I summoned you then, aren’t I?” Changkyun asked with a smile although he couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of accidentally summoning a born incubus. 

  
  


"You would have been fucked senseless, but I doubt killed...it was a mistake, after all."

  
  


“But would they have cared? A summoning is a summoning…”

  
  


Wonho cracked a small smile. "...But for an incubus, it was a pretty shoddy summoning."

  
  


Changkyun pouted. “But it still worked, right? Of course….” and he looked at the other sheepishly. “You were able to break the circle and I couldn’t keep you contained at all…”

  
  


"They would have taken a little bit of pity on you and just left, probably make fun of your circle. I thought you were cute."

  
  


“So you pitied me too? Not that I blame you at all. It was pretty pitiful.”

  
  


"I thought it was cute you thought I was a weird looking fire imp..."

  
  


Changkyun groaned. “Well, I wasn’t expecting an incubus to step out of that blue smoke.”

  
  


"Mist," Wonho protested with a laugh. "And after I got my more human look all ready for you."

  
  


“Still didn’t look like any imp I was expecting. You scared the shit out of me.”

  
  


"And now?"

  
  


Changkyun laughed. “You definitely don’t scare me in that kind of way. Sometimes you can really be intense but I actually like that a lot.”

  
  


Wonho took a deep breath and closed his eyes, falling silent. Slowly, he let his illusion spell fall away - the demon had black horns that curled towards the back of his head and sudden pointed ears, decorated with several piercings (along with a few others, further down his body). When he finally opened his eyes, they were a vivid silver rather than dark and playful. "And...now?"

  
  


Changkyun’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened as the incubus revealed his true form, complete with a myriad of piercings and eyes that seemed even more intense than they were before. “So what you are telling me is all of your forms are fucking hot…..this isn’t really fair, you know.”

  
  


"...The horns don't bother you?" Wonho tilted his head, curious. "Or the piercings? Of course, you might want nipple ones of your own."

  
  


Changkyun reached up to run a finger curiously over one of the smooth, cool horns. “They are beautiful,” he said in a hush.  “I’m not sure piercings are for me but they look incredible on you, Wonho.”

  
  


Wonho shivered pleasantly, the touch sending a shock straight through his body. "Careful, Channie...horns are _very_  sensitive."

  
  


“Oh….sorry…” Changkyun replied, pulling his hand away. “Is that why you like it when I run my fingers through your hair when you are in human form?”

  
  


"Oh, Channie, didn't mean it like that," Wonho apologized. "I like it when you touch them, but they're erogenous zones for me."

  
  


“What place _isn’t_  an erogenous zone for you?” the mage asked wryly, once again reaching out to touch the tip of one black horn and tracing it slowly.

  
  


Wonho chuckled. "Well just like you, I love being touched and kissed everywhere - and to answer your question, I love it when you run your fingers through my hair."

  
  


“Can you still feel your horns when you are in your human form? Your piercings?”

  
  


He nodded. "It's an illusion spell I use. I didn't know what would frighten you, so I just used my human appearance, minus having black hair. I'm used to the blonde, and humans have crazy colors anyway." A happy hum escaped, pleased with the attention being given his horns.

  
  


“I like your hair this way,” Changkyun murmured as he continue to trace the incubus’ horns, moving from one side to the next. “Of course, I think you’d look hot with black hair too….or red...or purple. Doesn’t matter to me.”

  
  


"I'm beginning to think that nothing is going to faze you, Channie...not even my cock piercing."

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes drifted down and widened. “Oh my….”

  
  


"You're going to like that," Wonho chuckled. "Although that's probably the least shocking thing - maybe I should have told you about the piercings before admitting that I love you."

  
  


“Magic can really be confusing sometimes,” the younger man said in a low voice. “You’ve had that all this time and I haven’t felt it at all. What other surprises do you have that you haven’t told me about yet?”

  
  


"Is it...going to bother you that I still love my former partner?" Wonho asked quietly. "I always will, I think."

  
  


Changkyun shook his head. “You can’t help who you love and your heart is big enough for more than one person. I’m jealous that you’ve been able to love before. All of this is so new to me, hyung.”

  
  


Wonho's fingers teased through Changkyun's hair. "I suppose that since I've told you some of my surprises, it's only fair I got one of yours. It's not easy to love a demon, Channie. I wish I could say it would be perfectly smooth sailing from here."

  
  


Changkyun leaned into the touch. “I really don’t have any surprises , hyung. You already know that I was a virgin and that I’m an orphan. I don’t have any illusions to conceal myself. What you see is what you get. I don’t think things will be easy but they will be worth it.”

  
  


"Then I like what I see...and I should let you get some rest, Channie. You've got a long day tomorrow."

  
  


It almost felt like he had said something wrong or that Wonho felt he was hiding something. He really had no secrets. If he did, then they were so secret that even he didn’t know about them. He nodded and crawled under the covers. “I guess so...goodnight, hyung.”

  
  


The demon's arms crept protectively around his lover - that <i>was</i> the right word, holding him comfortably close. "Thank you for accepting me, even though I'm like this," he whispered. "...That was one of my greatest fears."

  
  


“You accept me even though I am the way I am…..why wouldn’t I accept you?” Changkyun replied, resting his hands comfortably on the arms that surrounded him and relaxed back against the demon.

  
  
  


"You just told me that what I see from you is what I get - and I like what I see and love what I get," he murmured, finally finishing his thought.

  
  


“Thank you,” Changkyun said quietly, squeezing the incubus’ hand as he felt his eyelids growing heavy. “Love you.”

  
  


"Love you too." The incubus smiled, touched as he slipped into a trance - he didn't require sleep, but a trance provided rest and having Changkyun close gave him even more comfort.


	7. If two's company and three's a crowd, what's four?

On weekends, Changkyun was entrusted with the shop.

 

Well not _fully_  entrusted, Kihyun was still there but spent his time engrossed in a stack of theory and sigil spellbooks, busy writing and testing a new incantation (one that he refused to give details on, but promised it would be revolutionary.) There were customers to attend to –a number that had risen once Changkyun had started manning the desk, Kihyun’s clangy phone to answer and the ever present need to try and update some of the shop’s technology. A website had been reluctantly agreed to, but he balked at any sort of coupon or coffee shop promotion.

 

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, a new customer had entered the shop, a boy who couldn’t have been more than fourteen exploring the shelves, exclaiming to himself as he came upon Kihyun’s ‘Stupid Shit’, ‘Really Stupid Shit’, and ‘What the Hell is Wrong With You This is the Stupidest Shit,’ where he put his most dangerous books.

  
  


Changkyun looked up from where he was cataloguing transmogrification manuals on his laptop (it never hurt to know exactly what books were in which section especially if you weren’t Yoo Kihyun. Which he wasn’t, thank god.) Noticing the newcomer, the young mage called out. “Welcome to Imugi. You looking for anything specific, kiddo? Spells and Incantations for Beginners is in the Magic 101 section. Ignore the ‘Magic for Dummies’ sign. Boss has no tact.”

  
  


The boy suddenly gasped and looked up, guilt crossing over his face. "My friend said there were books here on summoning, uh..." he racked his brains, trying to think of a creature that sounded neutral. "Oh yeah, ghost fire."

  
  


Changkyun arched an eyebrow. “Ghost fire, huh? And why do you want to summon that? Isn’t very practical at all.”

  
  


"It looks _really_  cool," he insisted, edging closer to a title that looked more promising (and much sexier) than ghost fire.

  
  


“Well, ‘The Nature of Incubi and Succubi’ isn’t going to help you with ghost fire, you know,” he said with a slight smirk, leaning back and crossing his arms in front of his chest knowingly.

  
  


"Uh...maybe it will?" The lady in the string bikini drawn on the book's spine looked _really_  promising. "Have _you_   read it?"

  
  


“Don’t need to,” Changkyun replied, then leaned closer to the kid. “Listen, I don’t advise trying to summon a Succubus or Incubus. If you want someone to teach you the ropes and take your virginity then go to one of the VR brothels. Cheaper and less soul-stealing.”

  
  


He made a face. "Are you serious? My parents would never let me use their card for that!"

  
  


"He needs a mage license and and ID to buy anything in that section," Kihyun called out from the back. "Don't sell without that."

  
  


“And they would let you summon a demon that could fuck and kill you - maybe not in that order?” Changkyun wasn’t impressed. “Don’t worry, boss. I got it.”

  
  


"You guys suck," the boy whined as he exited the shop. "You're gonna get a really bad review from me! Zero stars!"

  
  


"That was...what, fourth one this week?" Kihyun asked. "What's on that website that's attracting all the kids?"

  
  


The younger mage shrugged. “I have no idea. I didn’t put anything in about summoning demons or anything else for that matter. Just advertised that this was the best place for practical magic and the occult and where the shop was located. No free porn signs or ‘lose your virginity here’ specials. Hell, you won’t let me post coupons for buy one get one half off on the clearance items.”

  
  


The archmage sighed. "...And what did that incubus of yours put on the site?"

  
  


The color drained from Changkyun’s face. “Oh, shit….” he muttered and pulled up the shop’s website, afraid of what he might find. “He just said he was going to ‘spruce up the graphics.’ “

  
  


The graphics were indeed 'spruced up' - but Wonho's idea of sprucing up was a little more suggestive than others (did the mage graphics need to show _that_  much cleavage? Why were none of the men wearing shirts?)

  
  


:Kihyun peered over his shoulder and groaned. "That's the problem. Get that cleared up...and might as well announce the clearances in Magic for Dummies and Baby Steps sections."

  
  


“Magic 101,” Changkyun absentmindedly corrected the archmage as he sighed. He’d have to reformat the whole site - and make sure to get rid of the paragraph on ‘really cute employees’, even if it did make him blush. At least he hadn’t said anything more suggestive…

  
  


"I know what I named my sections," Kihyun made a face. "They're there for a rea-not again," he muttered, seeing another kid trying to sneak into the Stupid Shit sections.

  
  


“They aren’t very customer friendly,” Changkyun replied, then looked at the new arrival. “Not selling any books on summoning without mage license and 3 forms of ID, one of which cannot be your high school ID.”

  
  


"And you wonder why I'm so cranky," Kihyun muttered as the boy ducked out, embarrassed. "Why get rid of the thing about cute employees?"

  
  


Changkyun shrugged. “Wonho’s just exaggerating. Besides, it isn’t important to the information about the store."

 

"I'd keep it. It'll get customers in here and it's true - four forms of ID!" he suddenly barked, the door slamming shut.

  
  


The younger man sighed. “Why do I have to keep telling you and Wonho that I’m NOT cute? It should be pretty obvious.”

  
  


"I'm not sure why you're trying to fight an incubus on that..." Kihyun trailed off, realizing that Wonho had worded it as 'employees', and managed to fight off a blush as the door opened behind him, the footsteps hesitant.

  
  


“Four forms of ID and your firstborn child - promised in writing,” Changkyun called out, reluctantly leaving the paragraph on the screen.

  
  


"For Aucoin's Interpreting Faerie Circles?" The woman at the door looked at the register, shock on her face.

  
  


Changkyun’s eyes widened and he whipped around. “Oh no, no…..so sorry, madam. It’s been a long day.  I think we have a couple copies of that in the ‘Pompous Pixies’ - I mean, the Fae and Sidhe Relations - section.”

  
  


"Pompous Pixies is the correct name," Kihyun announced, watching as the woman turned towards their Fae section. "Hakyeon pushed for that one. He loves it."

  
  


Changkyun rolled his eyes. “He would,” he muttered as the woman brought the book up to the register and he rung her up. “Thank you. Please come again.”

  
  


"Jongdae approved it too." Kihyun pointed out. "I'll add 'faerie and sidhe-approved' to it. Keep the cute employee thing."

  
  


“Fine….don’t blame if some pissed off pixie comes in here and sues us for slander,” Changkyun grumbled. “And I left it in even though it’s stupid.”

  
  


"We don't get the supers in here - well, unless they're friends. Otherwise, they just see a normal, run of the mill magic shop and keep on walking." Kihyun pulled out his fountain pen and began drawing a ward. "I'm going to enchant the stupid shit sections."

  
  


Changkyun waved him off as he turned back to the computer, scanning the website for anything else Wonho may have chosen to slip in - he didn’t need a repeat of just ‘coincidentally’ having actors on the videos the demon put on his laptop looking suspiciously like him.

  
  


Kihyun busied himself with drawing an elaborate ward - that would help more than anything to keep the too young and curious out. "Have you decided what you're doing with your incubus?"

  
  


“That’s a good question,” came a voice that was not as low as Changkyun’s but was definitely much smoother, an almost lazy quality about it. The younger mage turned - how had he not heard the chimes when the customer entered? - and looked up to see a tall, elegantly dressed man approach the desk. “Where is your incubus, Changkyun, isn’t it?” he added silkily. “I haven’t seen him around for a while…but he is right - the employees here are delicious.””

  
  


Kihyun's heart dropped - there was only one type of person who would talk, dress, and act that way - cool and smooth, every word having a hint of sex in it. "...You summoned another one?"

  
  


“Another one?” Changkyun looked back at the archmage in confusion and when he turned around the stranger was less than a foot away, leaning against the desk, grinning lazily at the human. “Hey there, cutie…..so you are the one Wonho is playing with now? Does he fuck you good? Leave you wanting more? I would, you know….” He leaned closer, breath hot against the mage’s ear. “I bet you are a pretty bottom, moaning like a little slut and begging for more each time.”

  
  


Kihyun's protective instinct flared, the archmage abandoning his ward to start grabbing the items needed to banish the new incubus - who did he think he was? "I don't know how you got out, incubus, but you're going back to the underworld. Not in my shop."

  
  


The demon sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning back. “Oh chill, shorty. I’m just checking up on my buddy Wonho. I was told by the powers that be to make sure he was doing alright since hasn’t reported in for the past few weeks. I’m not here to fuck the baby mage here,” he looked over at Changkyun and gave him a wink. “Unless he wants me to, of course. Could be fun.”

 

Changkyun shivered and took a step away from the incubus, studying the demon closely. Just as handsome as Wonho but in a different way, long and lean and modelesque. And his eyes…’

  
  


“Gold….your eyes, they’re gold….” he stammered, knowing what that meant.

  
  


This was a borne Incubus, not a cursed one.

  
  


The creature grinned. “Got it in one, cutie. Do I get to give you a prize?”

  
  


"If that prize is getting out of here, then give it." Kihyun's voice was steely as he stepped in front of the younger mage. After all he saw, studied, understood - a born incubus was a valid threat, something that Changkyun couldn’t handle on his own. It wouldn’t be so bad of a banish, nothing like banishing the greater archdemons.

 

“Changkyun,” Kihyun began, his voice even. “Is your incubus doing all right?”

  
  


“He was supposed to be back at 3,” Changkyun replied, briefly removing his eyes from the demon to glance up at the clock.

 

_2:45_.

 

The incubus watched the two humans, amused. “Gods, you really are a matching set. I’m totally jealous of Wonho right now.”

  
  


"Just tell him he's doing all right so I can send this little jackass back where he belongs." The archmage rolled his eyes. "The incubus is all Changkyun, not me."

  
  


“Doesn’t work that way, gorgeous,” the incubus drawled. “I’ve been sent by the boss and I need to know from Wonnie himself that he’s fine. Banishing spell won’t work right now, not while I’m wearing this.” And with that he raised his hand, an onyx ring revealed on his 4th finger. “I’m sure a big, bad archmage like Yoo Kihyun knows what this is.” 

 

Even Changkyun could tell it wasn’t of this world.

  
  


Kihyun groaned. "A dark negation ring? Are you serious?" He started putting some of the items away, but kept his guard up. "It's a supervisor incubus, Changkyun. Yours is a human born and won't advance far in the ranks, this one can. Like all born demons, this one is a complete and utter bastard - and is quite proud of it. I really wish you had just gotten the fire imp."

  
  


“Look, he’s even smarter than he looks,” the incubus said with chuckle before turning back to the younger mage. “I’m Hyungwon, Changkyunnie. You could say I’m your Wonho’s big brother. Whatever is mine is his and likewise.  You’ll be happy to learn that I taught him everything he knows…”

  
  


"And they're liars, don't listen to a word they say," Kihyun added, a little too quickly. "Just ignore him and work on the site, he'll be gone soon enough."

  
  


Hyungwon shook his head in mock sadness. “And this, young Changkyunnie, is what happens when you don’t get laid enough and miss your best friend. You get crankier than shit and take it out on everyone around you. Sad really, especially for someone so young.”

  
  


"Shut up." Kihyun stared down the demon before throwing up a silence barrier between them to at least mute Hyungwon for a few minutes. "I was afraid that was going to happen. Incubi do have their superiors."

  
  


Changkyun stared at the incubus - who looked bemused by the silencing spell - then turned his gaze back to Kihyun. “He doesn’t seem too bad right now. Maybe he’ll just leave after Wonho comes in and tells him everything is fine.”

  
  


"I'm ba-ack~" Wonho sang, pushing open the door with his shoulder while trying to balance packages. "Lines were shorter than I thought. Got Kihyunnie's books, few special things for Channie..." The demon winked lazily.

  
  


“So is it Show and Tell time, Wonnie?” Hyunwon asked, leaning back against the desk lazily. Kid did look good….but what incubus wouldn’t after getting such quality tail on the nightly?

  
  


"Hyung? What're you doing here?" Wonho stepped back, startled. He searched Changkyun's face, but it seemed like Hyungwon had at least done the courtesy of not dropping any secrets. "You're looking well."

  
  


Kihyun frowned thoughtfully. So it was a surprise visit - the last time he remembered, Wonho wasn't the type to feign shock well.

  
  


“You haven’t reported in for several weeks, kiddo,” Hyungwon drawled. “I figured you were having a good time so no need to worry but the higher ups wanted proof that you were still alive and well and fucking the brains out of your chosen subject - and from what I see I don’t blame you for being preoccupied,” he added, eyeing Changkyun. “So I’ve been spending time with baby mage and bratty mage,” he said with a nod in Kihyun’s direction. “He actually thought he could banish me.”

  
  


"And he'd be able to if you hadn't brought your ring," Wonho muttered. "He's an archmage and a damned talented one at that." He placed his bags on the desk. "All right, I'm alive and well and clearly fucking Channie's brains out. Well, fucked 'em out last night, gearing up to fuck 'em again tonight, long as he wants - and trust me, he _definitely_  wants. So yeah, that's my report. Anything else?"

  
  


_Fuck_.  Wonho just had to go and defend him, didn't he? The archmage quickly turned and retreated into the usually untouched arithmancy section, pretending to be busy. He couldn't give Changkyun any more ammunition to snoop around.

  
  


Hyungwon shook his head. “Not quite so fast, kiddo. The big dogs aren’t quite pleased with you ignoring them - and you know how they get.” For a moment the incubus’ eyes grew darker, no humor in them. Hyungwon was very serious about this. “They aren’t quite sure they trust your reports, Wonho.”

  
  


"What's there to report?" Wonho sputtered, confused. "Do they need every detail of every encounter I have? I've been busy, clearly..."

  
  


“They feel you may have developed….. _feelings_.” Hyungwon’s voice lowered at the last word, a hint of confusion hidden within. “You know that isn’t part of our task, Wonho. You are supposed to fuck them and suck them and feed from them. Nowhere are you supposed to care for them… Love is for humans.”

  
  


Wonho's voice grew quiet as a customer walked in, thankfully busying Changkyun. "And you know _exactly_  what it's like to have human ties, hyung. What does it matter that it's the same person, as long as I'm fucking and sucking and feeding from them?"

  
  


Hyungwon shook his head, as if to clear some of the confusion, a look of boredom once again crossing his handsome face. “What human ties? My father disappeared - never knew him. Mother said she didn’t need him and that I shouldn’t worry about it. So I don’t. Neither should you - unless it’s as a food source. That’s why I’m here.”

  
  


"Going to shadow me, Hyung-hyung?"Wonho smirked, knowing how much Hyungwon hated the nickname. "Maybe you could learn a few things."

  
  


Hyungwon rolled his eyes, then something sparked in them, the gold flashing dangerously. “Everything you know you learned from me, _Hoseokkie_ ,” he stressed the name, just low enough that the human boy couldn’t hear it. “By the way, when do you two plan on telling the cutie the truth?”

  
  


Wonho's hand tightened into a fist reflexively, and he whispered a quick spell to make sure Changkyun's customer just needed one more thing and couldn't remember the title. "He doesn't need to know," he muttered. "I'm obeying that rule, hyung."

 

  
  


“So having your cake and fucking it too, I see,” the incubus murmured. “Seems cruel to Changkyun to lie to him like that. He’s going to feel quite betrayed by both you _and_  Kihyun when he finds out. The two people he trusts most in the world…”

  
  


"He knows that we're acquainted," Wonho pointed out, "and he knows that I still have feelings for him. Kihyun doesn't talk about it, why should I freak him out? I haven't spoken to Ki, honest."

  
  


“If you are serious about baby mage then you realize that hiding a secret this big will only hurt him in the end, not you.” Hyungwon paused. “Hmm...maybe you are a cold hearted incubus, after all.” The tall demon shrugged. “I’m still stuck babysitting you until the big dogs are satisfied.”

  
  


"He doesn't even know my human name - and Ki's never said it," Wonho pointed out quietly. "This is to protect him, not to provoke distrust. Not sure Channie will be up to a threesome, but I could ask."

  
  


“And you are fine with lying to him. Isn’t going to end well but that’s on you, kid.” Hyungwon looked over at the human mage. “He’s pretty, I’ll give you that - but I prefer my dinner with a bit more meat to it, if you know what I mean. Someone I can wrap my legs around, not the other way around.”

 

Wonho arched an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you mean, hyung. I'm a switch."

 

“Yes, but you _like_  to dominate more. Just a fact - and the baby mage looks like a perfect little sub for you.”

 

"You'd be amazed at what he can take....and pray he's interested. I can tell that you're starving."

 

“I can find my own meal, kiddo…..and I wouldn’t want to disrupt your fairy tale here.”

  
  


"Yeah, those VR brothels are pretty popping..." Wonho hummed, waiting for the customer to leave. "Channie, we're gonna have a visitor for a while..."

  
  


Changkyun finished the sale and closed the till before he looked up - and his eyes widened. The guy looked like a model, taller than Wonho with legs that went for days. His face was as intriguing, over-exaggerated features just seeming to _fit_  even though they shouldn’t.

 

The incubus gave the young mage a lazy smile and an equally lazy wave. “Heya, kid. Changkyun, right? You can call me Hyungwon since that’s the only name I have.” He side-eyed Wonho as he said it. 

  
  


"This is my hyung, and he likes to think he taught me everything he knows," Wonho continued, ignoring the look - he knew it _very_  well. "He's annoying but he's hot...and he's gotta feed. Think you could take on two of us, or do we just ship Hyung-hyung here off to the brothels?"

  
  


“He’s your brothe--Ohhhh…..” Changkyun’s eyes widened as he finally caught on (and couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at those plush lips. _So that’s how Wonho learned how to suck cock so well…._

  
  


Hyungwon shook his head. “No. He’s a baby and I don’t poach on others’ territory. You know that…” The incubus glared at Wonho and headed to the door. “I’ll be back in a bit…”

  
  


“I don’t mind,” came Changkyun’s small yet curious voice.

  
  


"I figured, he's just being a jerk right now."Wonho's voice remained cheery, even though he cast an apprehensive glance at the door. "Acting like he's all big and scary - he brought that ring on purpose, he knows Kihyun could banish him in a heartbeat."

  
  


Hyungwon turned back, his eyes once again flashing gold and his skin taking on the same hue. Changkyun’s breath caught - the incubus looked like a gold statue. It had to be a hint at his true form beneath the illusion. 

 

“Are you really going to push it, Wonho?” Hyungwon said, his voice deceptively quiet as the air around him crackled with magical energy.

  
  


"I thought you were going," Wonho said evenly, the incubus stepping in front of Changkyun to shield him from the other. "Channie has nothing to do with this. Don't hurt him."

  
  


“If I truly wanted to hurt the boy you standing in front of me wouldn’t make a bit of difference and both you and I know it.” He briefly turned his golden gaze to Changkyun who managed to bite back a whimper. “I’m sure he’s told you that he’s a turned incubus, correct?” At the boy’s nod he continued, his eyes losing some of the metallic hue and instead resuming a chocolatey brown. “I was born this way. There is a difference. I have said I will not hurt you and I won’t. You have my word on that, kid. Incubi may be many things, but we do keep our promises.”

 

He turned back to the other incubus. “I’m not the one hurting him with lies, Wonho. Sometimes I think you need to be protected from yourself. Idiot.” And with that he turned and vanished through the door.

 

"Is he gone?" Kihyun called out, the archmage finally emerging from Arithmancy (labeled as 'Nerd Magic'). He sighed and waved his hand to lock the door, even though he knew it wouldn't do much good. "We should probably close a bit early. The less time he's around, the better."

  
  


"..There's no lying going on," Wonho muttered, turning to put away his purchases. "Stupid hyung.."

  
  


“He seems really worried about you, hyung,” Changkyun said softly. “He didn’t seem mean at all.” He paused, not sure if he should continue. “And he looked so tired. Even when he was angry there was something really sad and lost inside.”

 

Changkyun knew how that felt.

 

"The only thing Hyungwon needs to worry about is feeding," Wonho murmured. "He's got a bad habit of waiting until he's near-starved to find a human...he won't admit it, but he's not a fan of using people." No wonder he was pissed, if he thought that was what Wonho was doing.

  
  


“I was serious when I said I didn’t mind.” Changkyun shook his head. “But it seems like it’s more than that, hyung.” He stepped closer to the incubus. “What did he mean by hurting me with lies?”

  
  


The incubus remained quiet as he pulled Changkyun in close. “I know you wouldn’t mind, it’s…very complicated. My hyung wants me to spill out my entire past life – incubi generally don’t keep many secrets. It’s—“

 

“—Nothing important,” Kihyun chimed in suddenly. “Born incubi don’t understand the need for protection, since their modus operandi is fuck and kill, fuck and leave on a good day for their intended.”

 

“He seemed really serious though, hyung,” Changkyun addressed both. “He could have hurt me but he didn’t - even I could tell. You both act like he doesn’t have any power. That’s bullshit. He’s got a lot of power and it’s different than yours, Wonho.”

  
  


"He's powerful," Wonho acknowledged. "Very powerful, far more than I am. Just doesn't quite understand humans - and got mad when I pointed out that if he didn't have that ring, Kihyunnie could take him out."

  
  


Changkyun looked from the incubus to the archmage and back. “But that isn’t true, is it? Kihyun-hyung is very powerful but I don’t think he could easily take Hyungwon out. It might be possible but it wouldn’t be easy at all. There’s something different about his power but I just can’t put my finger on it.”

  
  


"It's not easy at all. H--e's always had an inflated view of an archmage's power," Kihyun quickly caught himself. "Probably because of the severity of the training that we undergo."

  
  


“You say that Hyungwon doesn’t understand the need for protection but he seems pretty concerned with protecting you, hyung,” Changkyun murmured softly. “I’d always thought incubi didn’t have feelings but both you and now Hyungwon have proven me wrong.”

  
  


"And it's not something you need to worry about," Wonho promised. "Once that spell's working, I won't be bound to the underworld anymore. No more reports, no more nosy hyungs." He squeezed Changkyun tighter. "Shall we go home, if we're closing up early?"

  
  


“I’m still going to worry,” Changkyun insisted. “And now I’m worried about him too. Something isn’t right.”

  
  


"I told you, he's hungry," Wonho explained. "Incubi...our personalities change if we aren't fed enough, and hyung's reluctant to feed. Personally I think it's because he doesn't like killing them."

  
  


“But he said he was a born incubus - shouldn’t they be more cold-hearted than turned incubi?” He still didn’t think it was just because Hyungwon was hungry. There was something Wonho wasn’t telling him and Changkyun was even more worried now.

  
  


"He's...well, Channie...it's not my story. Hyung's going to have to tell you himself, if he's so inclined."

  
  


“Okay,” Changkyun said quietly, turning to go put a few last books away. He had a lot to think about... 

  
  


"I'll clean up," Kihyun offered. "You can go home."

  
  


“No. It’s my responsibility,” the younger man replied with a shake of his head.

  
  


"It's my store," he reminded. "No matter how old and dusty it is, still my store."

  
  


“And you hired me to work in it. You pay me a wage to work, not to go home and pretend everything is fine.”

 

"I just figured you may want to have a few moments alone with your incubus before the other shows up."

 

Changkyun sighed. “Worrying tends to kill my sex drive.”

  
  


Kihyun fell quiet as he took some of the books to shelve in Magic for Dummies. Changkyun certainly didn't like hearing no for an answer, but the powers he wanted to play with were a little more complex than just pure evil. "Give it time. Your incubus' performance reflects on his superior, and yours has performed outside of the norm."

  
  


“Why do you guys always have to speak in riddles and shit? Both you and Wonho seem to want me to stay in the dark about something, like you think I’m stupid and won’t understand. I’ve gotten enough of that growing up, you know. That’s part of why I left the orphanage.”

  
  


"It isn't that you won't understand - well, you would and you wouldn't. Some secrets are just too painful to reveal."

  
  


“Alright.” The word was quiet and final. Changkyun finished putting the books away and took his jacket off the hook where it had been hanging. He said nothing more to either archmage or incubus other than a softly murmured ‘goodnight’ as he left. Where he was going he wasn’t quite sure.

  
  


Kihyun puttered around his store, carefully finishing shelving and closing out the register. Wonho had torn out after Changkyun, and for once, he had his blessed silence - in the shop, his walk home, and into his house. For once, it wasn't filled with moans or smelled of sex; he could brew some tea and actually enjoy it.

 

At least, he thought he could.

 

“He’s not here, incubus,” Kihyun called out while he filled his kettle. “I’m not sure where he went.”

  
  


“Wasn’t them I came to see,” Hyungwon said as he stepped from the shadows and sat down at the kitchen table. The cheeks of his human form were a little more flushed than before, some of the pallor relieved but not completely gone. The incubus still sounded more fatigued than he should be.

 

_The human would wake up with the vaguest dreams of a pleasurable night - one that could have ended very differently (and very finally) yet for some reason didn’t._

 

“I came to see you, Kihyun.”

  
  


“Then you aren’t doing a good job of shadowing if you can’t find them,” Kihyun pointed out. He set his kettle to boil – while he had hated having to get electricity and running water (and spent a week in a panic huddled in Hakyeon’s apartment while he was shown how to use them), he did appreciate how having tea was a lot easier. He stared at the peeling wallpaper in his kitchen, not turning to face Hyungwon.

 

“Why are you all of a sudden coming in here and accusing us of lying to Changkyun? He’s happy. We’ve agreed not to speak of it. Ten years is a long time.”

  
  


“For all the hoity-toity education you archmages seem to have difficulty hearing things,” Hyungwon said with a sigh as he conjured his own cup of tea, the rich scent of orange pekot drifting through the air. “I don’t give a fuck where they are right now. I’m accusing you of lying to the young mage because that is exactly what you are doing. Both you and Hoseok. And yes, I’m going to use his human name even though both of you are afraid to. You and Hoseok may have agreed never to speak of what happened but it is no longer just the two of you, is it? A happiness built on half-truths and camouflage risks crumbling - perhaps not right now, but inevitably.”

  
  


"He is dead," Kihyun replied quietly. "He died ten years ago, and I witnessed it. There is no reason for Changkyun to know that I had a lover. Yous aid it yourself, I'm an archmage - and archmages are celibate. He has nothing to fear from me stealing him away."

  
  


The incubus shook his head. “You humans, always overlooking the obvious. This isn’t about who fucks who or who stays celibate - which is the stupidest rule I’ve ever heard of honestly. Your magic has nothing to do with sex. Now, if an incubus decided to become celibate that would be a problem.” Hyungwon took a sip of his tea and grimaced, adding a touch of honey to the hot liquid. “No, if it is so easy for you two to hide something like this from Changkyun then how easy will it be to hide something else…..or something else? You do him an injustice all in the so called name of ‘protecting him’. Protecting him from what? The fact that you two were a thing? Who the fuck cares?”

  
  
  


"He's protecting me." The old kettle whistled, and Kihyun carefully began pouring it into his cup. "It has nothing to do with Changkyun and everything to do with _not_  reliving those memories and nightmares. I don't want to answer questions about our relationship, or what we did or who or what was better. He has an unnamed partner. For all Changkyun knows, I'm just a lonely virgin who went celibate a few hundred years in advance because I was too cranky to get laid. We call it polite fiction."

  
  


“Polite fiction is a lie in pretty wrapping paper, Kihyun.” Hyungwon sighed. “And Changkyun isn’t the only one being lied to, little archmage.” His voice was surprisingly gentle.

  
  


"These are secrets, not lies." Kihyun clenched the fragile cup's handle with surprising strength. "Changkyun is lucky that he has no secrets to worry about."

  
  


Hyungwon arched an eyebrow. “And how do you know that, Kihyun? Do you know where he is from? Do you know his parents? His energies are not like any other human I’ve been around.  I have a feeling that there is more to the baby mage than either of you thinks.”

  
  


"I noticed quite a long time ago," the archmage agreed. "But that's still not a secret, that's a mystery. He's archmage material, if he ever hones it. But that has nothing to do with lies or being lied to."

  
  


“Call it what you will. You are lying by omitting the past, Kihyun. Changkyun isn’t stupid. He will ask eventually. It is better to be honest sooner rather than later.” Hyungwon studied the archmage. “I can tell both you and Hoseok care about him….in different ways, of course.”

  
  


"Hard to ask when you don't have another incubus around just to create problems." Kihyun put his cup down, his mouth set in a grim line. "I do not care about him, or anyone else. The good thing about taking a traditional archmage path is ridding yourself of emotions."

  
  


“So you lie to him….and you lie to yourself. How human of you,” Hyungwon said with a sigh as he finished his tea, the cup vanishing into thin air with a pass of his hand. “You humans seem to put the status of archmage over everything else. Don’t you realize it’s just a title? You can be a mage just as powerful without the archaic restrictions.”

  
  


"You know as well as I do that perfect honing requires complete isolation. I've managed to not touch anyone else's skin for the past ten years..and I did feel a slight amount of happiness, but that's blocked, for good." Kihyun was firm as he tried to pour himself another cup, his hands shaking. "That burst of emotion is the reason why my magic has been failing."

 

Hyungwon rested his chin on one long-fingered hand, the incubus studying the human mage in fascination. “You really believe all that bullshit, don’t you? Isolation by itself doesn’t make you a better mage. It just makes you try stupider things because you have no connections to make you think twice. Archmages are the ones who get lucky doing those stupid things. Most of them die trying. Those who don’t just sit in their ivory towers, bragging about how alone they are and not doing any real good for anyone but themselves.”

  
  


Kihyun muttered to himself as he desperately tried to calm himself, searched for the no-emotion state that he so desperately tried to reach, that all of his work didn't quite amount to nothing--and instead dropped his teacup, the delicate china smashing loudly on the floor. "Shit." But there was cleaning to do, cleaning that could let him ignore the incubus who invaded his home and tried to control---"Oh. That's it. You still need to feed. Incubi do get cranky without feeding."

  
  


Hyungwon hadn’t moved, other than lifting one finger to eliminate the sharp edges of china that had scattered across the floor. “I’m perfectly fine. Why? You offering?”

  
  


Kihyun busied himself with the rest of the cleaning, not offering any thanks. "When an incubus is still quite pale and even more irritating than usual, it's due to not feeding properly or enough. I'm sure you can go find a brothel or seven."

  
  


“Hate to burst your bubble but my human form is always pale and I’m always irritating,” Hyungwon said lazily. “I fed well enough earlier.”

  
  


"Then do it again. Show the other incubus that you can get more willing customers than he can."

  
  


Hyungwon rolled his eyes. “It isn’t a competition amongst us, Kihyun. No one keeps a tally of who they feed from. That’s very tacky.”

  
  


"From what I remember from you, you are far from the paragon of good taste. I told you I wasn't going to try to summon him anymore. You promised to leave me alone for good."

  
  


“Let’s see…..you tried to summon him a dozen times, and those are the ones you actually completed. It finally took me showing up for you to slow down and get over your guilt, which I’m not sure you actually have in all honesty. Now you seem to think some spell will shift him back. That isn’t how it works, little mage.”

  
  


Kihyun stared down at his scarred palms and winced - how many times had he been in his basement, frantically summoning and begging and pleading with Hyungwon, just to let him see, just one more time? How many more times had he tried, after that?

 

He stood up and faced away from the demon. "I'm going to bed now. Entertain yourself somewhere else." Somewhere he couldn't be reminded.

  
  


“Kihyun,” Hyungwon said softly, his voice gentling. “You didn’t do anything wrong. There are consequences for actions and unfortunately Hoseok had to pay the price. There are powers greater than you or me.”

  
  


"I cursed him," Kihyun said suddenly. "It was me. I did it. If I told him that I _refused_  to ever help him in his stupid summon, he'd still be here. He'd still be with me."

  
  


“Do you really think you could have stopped him? We both know how he is. Hoseok was able to make his own decisions, Kihyun. He chose to attempt the summon - he knew the risks.” The incubus paused. “And he is actually still around, remember? It may not be in the same context but he’s still here.”

  
  


"He’s telling the truth." Wonho's voice came from the entryway, the demon returning after trying (and failing) to find Changkyun. "If Kihyun wasn't there, that angel would have killed me. You were able to negotiate that down to cursing me."

  
  


“He doesn’t hate you, little mage - he knows you saved him and, what’s more, he knows you tried even more for him,” Hyungwon said with a nod. “The outcome may not have been what either of you hoped but you are both still here.” He nodded towards Wonho. “That one even knows what it’s like to still be human and it shows.”

  
  
  
  


"So do you, hyung," Wonho pointed out. "It's not a shame to be half human, you know? It's just...well, about falling into the archmage trap about pretending that everything _has_  to be a certain way."

 

"I figured you were half," Kihyun spoke quietly as he took a step back, trying to disengage. "No wonder you didn't kill him on sight."

  
  


For the first time Hyungwon looked uncomfortable. He slowly stood, his expression guarded. “I’m a born Incubus, that is all you need to worry about,” he said quietly, gripping the back of the chair in an attempt to steady fingers that trembled faintly, barely enough to be noticed. “I’ll monitor what happens as they have instructed me to and as you wish I will not interfere. Just think about being honest with the boy. I think he deserves it.”

  
  


"When he comes back," Kihyun said finally, exchanging a look with Wonho. "...If he comes back."

  
  


Relieved that the two were caught up in their own issues and not noticing his moment of weakness, Hyungwon nodded. “He’ll be back. His body may no longer be so pure thanks to my horny little dongsaeng but his heart is and he does trust both of you. Treat him well.”

  
  


"He wanted to get busy with you too, hyung," Wonho teased. "Little Channie loves as much cock as he can get."

 

Kihyun fell quiet again, silently retreating to the safety of his bedroom. He was responsible, he knew it. He had already started his atonement, disguised as archmage training - and it would continue, demons or not.

  
  


“Now is not the time, kid,” Hyungwon murmured, closing his eyes for the moment to hide the fact that his illusion was slipping. He was never this careless… “I don’t suppose I could just crash on the couch? Do you think grouchy mage would mind? Oh, and he’s still blaming himself. He isn’t as good at hiding his feelings as he thinks.”

  
  


"Ki...my Kihyun wouldn't mind if you tranced here." Wonho looked up the now-empty staircase. "This isn't the Ki I love, you know. My Ki was smart and sweet and warm, not...not this. Never like this."

  
  


“I know. I was there when he tried to summon you over and over again, tried to beg for me to take him instead of you, when he cried and screamed and threatened to curse me for not making things right.” Hyungwon sighed, rubbing eyes that flickered gold no matter how hard he tried to prevent it. “Kihyun is still all of those things but thinks he shouldn’t be because it didn’t bring you back. He needs someone to knock some sense into him. Foolish human.”

  
  


"Hyung, are you okay?" Wonho's concern was suddenly directed to the older incubus; it was impossible to miss the gold flickers in his eyes. "I've never seen you not be able to hold the illusion."

  
  


Hyungwon tried to straighten, to replace the look of fatigue on his face with one of boredom. “I am fine. It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he murmured haughtily but he couldn’t keep his long, slim fingers from shaking. The powerful aura the incubus usually held was dimmed and weak, barely surrounding his elegant frame.

  
  


"That...you didn't have as much as you needed, didn't you?" Wonho scolded. "You have to feed,  hyung."

  
  


“I took….enough,” the older incubus protested. “She barely felt it.”

  
  


Wonho bit his tongue from making a dick joke, even if it was hanging right there. "You know you don't have to kill them, just...feed off their sexual energy. It'll replenish."

  
  


Hyungwon glared at the younger incubus. “I know what you are thinking and you can just fuck off.” Even as he said it his illusion flickered again, pale skin being replaced by gold. Hyungwon may have been part human but he was still a very powerful incubus. For this to happen wasn’t due to just one missed meal…

  
  


"I'll save the dick jokes for when you're feeling better," Wonho promised. "...You know, Ki's fantastic in bed..."

  
  


“No.” Hyungwon shook his head. “I should think you would have learned by now you don’t fuck those who hate you. Energies get all fucked up.”

 

“Hyung, I'm just saying...if you don't want to come to bed with us, then maybe." The demon sighed and leaned against Hyungwon. "His energy's all fucked up, too. That's got to be hindering magic."

 

"I don't want to get in the way of you and Changkyun, kiddo," he murmured, wrapping his arm loosely around Wonho's waist.

 

"You wouldn't. Hyung...I hate to say it, but the higher-ups were right about me."

 

Hyungwon sighed, letting himself lean against Wonho. "The bosses are assholes and both you and I know it."

  
  


"Well I know that, but...well, they had good reason to send you, but I think you already figured that out, about Channie and me."

  
  


The older incubus offered a slight smile. "Yes....you are pretty easy to read. Always have been."

  
  


"And...." Wonho ventured. "...Do you think I need to be removed and punished? You usually cover for me, hyung. Thanks for that."

 

Hyungwon shook his head. "No, not removed or punished......if they did that to you then they would have to do that to me as well. I don't fit their mold either."

 

"None of us who aren't purebred born incubi or succubi do," Wonho agreed. "But we're safe here. Well, as safe as we can be."

 

"I don't know how long they want me to stay here, Wonho," Hyungwon cautioned. "I know Kihyun is going to hate it."

  
  


"...Maybe he'll warm up to it?" Wonho suggested. "We'll think of something, hyung. He's working on a spell to re-bind demons."

 

He leaned against the other incubus with a sigh. "Sometimes I hate being the hardass." Gods, why was he so tired...

  
  


It was at that very moment that a small figure quietly entered, watching the two on the couch curiously.

 

"Well you try, but then you secretly turn out to be really gentle. I was terrified, you know." Wonho ruffled his hyung's hair. "But you were nice to me in that hell...even though I didn't really accept not being able to see Kihyun any longer."

 

"The cursed often fade, you know," Hyungwon murmured. "They cannot handle the change and what is expected of them so they simply fade away into nothing. I've seen it happen too many times. I know I shouldn't care..."

 

A smile touched Wonho's lips. "But you do. You really would get along with the Kihyun I know. Well, once we tell Channie and try to stop Kihyun from feeling guilty and get you back to normal, that is."

 

Hyungwon was about to reply when they were interrupted. "Tell me what?" Changkyun asked from the doorway. The young mage stepped forward, studying the taller incubus, who looked frail and strangely golden, not like the sarcastic pale-skinned man from before. "What happened? You don't look so good."

 

"He needs to feed," Wonho explained. "Hyungwon doesn't take much when he does take, and he never understands that it's going to hurt him." He sighed. "I have something to tell you, but it involves Ki, he's in bed, and my hyung's hurting."

 

"We need to talk later," Changkyun said quietly but firmly. "All three of us." He stepped forward, looking down at a weakened Hyungwon. Before the incubus could protest the mage reached forward and cupped Hyungwon's face in his hands and leaned down to kiss him.

 

"Channie, I know it's a lot to ask," Wonho murmured. "...But please, take care of my hyung tonight."

 

"But you can't..." Hyungwon protested, only to have Changkyun place a finger gently on his plush lips. "I can. You aren't taking care of yourself and it's obvious someone has to. I know hyung would if he could but you need to feed from a human, right?" He smiled at Hyungwon's reluctant nod.

 

"I promise, you won't be bothering anything. This is just the kind of person that my Channie is." Wonho stood, offering Hyungwon a hand. "Here, I'll help you up to the bedroom and get out of your way. I don't want to take any of the energy that you need."

 

With the last of his conserved energy Hyungwon took Wonho's hand - and his carefully crafted illusion dropped.  Golden skin that gleamed as if the incubus had been dipped in molten gold made Changkyun's breath catch. His horns were not the obsidian that Wonho's were but instead seemed to be made of another metal, silver and curling intricately past tapered ears. If he hadn't known better the mage would have thought Hyungwon was some sort of elven halfbreed, not demon.

  
  


"Pretty hot, isn't he?" Wonho grinned and slowly led Hyungwon up the stairs, careful to go slowly. He had always secretly admired and envied his hyung's true form, a contrast to his cool silver. "I'm jealous now...but maybe I'll join in when hyung's feeling better."

 

"He's beautiful," Changkyun said with approval as he followed the two, taking care that Hyungwon didn't fall backwards (and also to check out his ass, truth be told. No point in lying).

  
  


"He really likes having the base of his horns teased," Wonho informed, stopping at the door. "Thank you, Channie. I'll trance downstairs, don't worry about me."

 

Changkyun nodded then turned to the incubus after Wonho had led him to the bed. He slowly closed the door and stalked forward, reaching up to run his fingers through Hyungwon's hair - and to tease those beautiful horns. "I'm not that experienced," he whispered in Hyungwon's ear. "But I can show you what I've learned. Wonho-hyung was a very good teacher..."

  
  


Wonho headed downstairs as soon as the door was closed, overcome with a sudden wave of affection. Changkyun understood what they needed and was selfless enough to give it, no questions asked. He'd tell him tomorrow, he decided. He deserved at least that much.


	8. Living 101

Nearly an hour later Changkyun sighed in contentment, curled against the older incubus' long, lanky frame. Hyungwon slept (for the first time in weeks but no one needed to know about that), the color high in his no longer sunken cheeks and his body thrumming with the energy the human had so willingly shared. It had been like a smorgasbord....

  
  


Morning brought no comfort to Kihyun as he made it through another sleepless night. The moans, the pleasure, the smells - he had memorized it all and loathed the demons and Changkyun for it. If, he reasoned, he wanted to get his magic back, then those feelings would need full erasure, no matter what Hyungwon had said – what did an incubus know about human magic, anyway?

 

He dressed and crept quietly down the hall and stairs, cursing the squeaky floorboards and echoing emptiness. He’d go to work early, find a way to stay out of their hair.

 

Find a way to rid himself of the guilt that constantly plagued him.

  
  


"Leaving so soon?" a sleepy voice questioned as Kihyun tried to sneak out. Seated at the kitchen table was Hyungwon, hair mussed and skin almost glowing with the healthiness that hadn't been present before. He sipped at the same orange pekot he had conjured before. "Have some tea."

 

"I have to open the shop," the mage mumbled. "Early customers, can't stay to chat." It was the only thing he could think of - he had to admit that the incubus looked far better than he had the night before, and that Changkyun was to thank for that.

 

“Please, Kihyun,” Hyungwon said quietly. “We need to talk.”

 

Kihyun made a show of taking out his pocket watch and looking at the time. "So talk. I won't guarantee I'll listen." Still, he went into his kitchen and busied himself with the kettle.

 

Hyungwon shook his head. ‘Stubborn human,’ he murmured to himself as he took another sip. Finally he put down his cup. “I’m not sure if you realize it but some incubi and succubi have special gifts that transcend sex. Some of us can sense emotions beyond lust.” He paused. “I’m one of those incubi. Maybe it’s because I’m part human, I don’t know. I never asked for this.”

 

"Good for you, I guess? Why are you telling me this?" Kihyun searched for his favorite blend - if he had to hear an incubus, he could at least drown it out with good tea. "Going to tell me that Changkyun's happy or something?"

 

“No…” the incubus murmured, shaking his head. “I think we both know that. No, I’m going to tell you that you are killing yourself slowly but surely with the self-hate that is festering inside you. No amount of magic you learn will cure it.”

  
  


"We both know that, too." Kihyun's reponse was quiet as he stared at his kettle, willing for it to whistle. "There's no room for the old archmages anymore. No room for the old magic. It's been replaced with all of these computers and phones and what have you, and those of us who can't adapt to it leave it."

  
  


“You can adapt, Kihyun,” Hyungwon murmured. “If I can, then you can as well…..and I remember a time when we didn’t have these technological things, when horses drew fine carriages and when you actually wrote letters or visited people to communicate. It can be done….but you have to be willing to share your fears.”

  
  


"I doubt there's much room outside of my self-loathing for fears." The archmage sounded resigned to his fate. "We still use horses and letter-writing and visits to communicate in old town. As Changkyun so rudely told me to 'get with it', I tried. I failed. Perhaps that's also hindering the old magic."

  
  


“The old magic is dying,” Hyungwon said bluntly. “Or not dying but evolving. It takes time to understand the new things and I know you haven’t allowed yourself that time. You are willing to sit in an ivory tower for years to learn old magic but not to try to learn how to use a smartphone or a computer? It’s the only way to save old magic.”

  
  


Kihyun laughed bitterly. "All right, demon." He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "How is this magic? This was formulated in a lab by engineers without the gift, not by mages. It's cold science."

  
  


“And you know all of that how?” Hyungwon asked with an arch of his eyebrow. “If you are so knowledgeable then I’m sure you were aware that Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was part fae, his family outcasts from the Grand Isles? That this thing humans call the Internet was modeled after the ley lines of magical energy that any of us who have even the slightest bit of natural magic inside of us are connected to? Science may not be as fluid as magic but it is not as inflexible as you think it is.”

  
  


"And when the old magic dies out - which it is, and you seem proud of this - then there is no use for the archmages. No use for me." Kihyun snatched his bag, abandoning the whistling kettle. "So I'll close the shop, sell it to a damned Starbucks, and retreat. There is no room for us anymore."

  
  


“Stop being so overdramatic,” the incubus said with a roll of his eyes. “You aren’t old enough for the histrionics, kid. Sure, the old magic is dying but it isn’t dead yet and people like little Changkyunnie - and you if you so choose - can help it evolve and flourish. I can’t make you want to adapt - but are you one to give up so easily?” he challenged the other.

  
  


"I gave up ten years ago. My title means nothing, my powers are weak. I have made no strides in ten years - and now I know why archmages hole themselves up in towers."

  
  


“Then doesn’t it make sense to try something different? Your old magic isn’t working for you - at least you admit that much.” Hyungwon waved away his teacup and stood. “I’ve been around a lot of archmages in my time - all stuffy, boring assholes so enamoured of their outdated spells and self-importance that they couldn’t see beyond their nose in front of them. With your stubbornness about summoning Hoseok I’d hoped you’d be different. That’s what I get for letting my human side get the better of me.”

  
  


Kihyun's eyes dulled at the mention of his ex-lover. The kettle screamed while the archmage stood silent, bag in a death grip. "You should have taken me instead. He was integrated, he knew all of it..."

  
  


“And he knew the risks. That’s what comes with powerful magic. There can be great rewards, but there can be great consequences too. Fuck, I sound like a Spiderman comic.” Hyungwon shook his head. “I almost took you once, you know, when you tried to summon him.”

  
  


"...Why didn't you?" Kihyun asked suddenly. "I would have gone, anything to switch places."

  
  


“Not that way, Kihyun.” Hyungwon offered a slight smile. “You were so passionate, so earnest in your determination. It was very - appealing,” he admitted.. “ I _am_  an incubus after all.”

  
  


"An incubus who likes man-spiders, whatever those are. He should have been the archmage, should have had everything - but at least he has Changkyun now."

  
  


Hyungwon decided to ignore the Spiderman reference - there was really no point trying to explain it. Hell, there was no point trying to explain anything. He’d just revealed that he’d been attracted to Kihyun and got absolutely no response. “You know what? I give up. You seem so set on feeling sorry for yourself just have at it. Go find some ivory tower to hole up in like those other cowards. Life is made to be lived - you humans don’t know how good you have it.” He snapped his fingers, Kihyun’s tea appearing before the mage, perfect temperature and just the way he liked it. “Enjoy your tea, Yoo Kihyun.” Hyungwon’s eyes flashed gold as he turned away.

  
  


"...Hyungwon." Kihyun's voice was soft. ".....I don't know how to live. I guess that's my fear." He didn't know where that was coming from.

  
  


“Isn’t found in those dusty books, is it?” Hyungwon said over his shoulder. “There is no manual on how to live. You just do it. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help. I know Changkyun is more than happy to help you. You’ve pretty much become his family. And Hoseok - he still cares. It might not be the same love you had before but there is still love and caring there. Don’t let that go. You have a lot more than some of us, kid.”

  
  


"He told me--" Kihyun's voice came in fits and starts. "--He had to tell me what I was feeling, because I didn't know. 'This is happiness,' he'd say, or 'you're angry', or 'that's love.'All I know is books and silence, not people."

  
  


“Then it is time to open up and learn, little mage,” the incubus said gently. “It’s okay to feel. Trust me.”

  
  


"...I don't know how to do that." The quiet in Kihyun's voice sounded desperate. "I don't allow myself to feel, or react - hell, he had to just grab me and kiss me for me to understand attraction. This isn't something for Changkyun, or his incubus."

 

The incubus closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. He could feel the fear seeping from the mage and it didn’t taste good at all, bitter and acrid. Something had to be done. 

 

_Even anger is better than this_.

 

Decision made, Hyungwon turned and walked back to the table. “Perhaps it doesn’t need to be for them,” he murmured, then leaned down and captured the archmage’s lips with his own, the kiss deep and unyielding.

 

_Come on, get angry at me..feel **something** …_

  
  


 

” _Don’t touch, Kihyun. Don’t feel, that’s bad for magic. You want to be the best mage, right?”_

 

Shock.

 

_”Stay away from that Hoseok boy.  He’ll teach you forbidden emotions and ruin your chances.”_

 

_”He touched you, I can sense that! You’re still a pathetic failure, Kihyun. You always will be. Leave. You aren’t welcome.”_

 

Voices, pounding, echoing, demanding pushed through his head, what was left of any sort of emotions in his soul. He wasn’t supposed to be touched, kissed, wasn’t supposed to have a family, as Hyungwon had put it – whatever that was.

 

But he couldn’t do that, not now. Not when he had been kissed for the first time in ten years, not when he felt warm and surprised, his memories and startled sentiment suddenly pouring out over his fear’s underlying rot.

 

And somehow, he didn’t push away.

  
  


**_NeedneedneedneedfearneedwantneedfearneedneedNEED!_ **

  
  


Oh fuck.

 

Hyungwon nearly stumbled back as emotions that had been self-contained for years came surging out of Kihyun in wave after intense wave, his lips never leaving the incubus’, the mage clinging to him. He curled his long fingers around the smaller man’s waist and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss with a heady moan.

  
  


His fingers dug into Hyungwon's shoulders as he struggled _not_  to close back up, to give in, let go. He didn't know what was happening, didn't care that he was putting on quite the show in his kitchen - he was warm, clutched, enjoying kisses far deeper than what Hoseok had ever given to him. Was that living? Was he doing that correctly?

  
  


Hyungwon pulled back to let the mage catch his breath, his eyes flashing gold as his lips curled into a smile of pleasure. “How did that feel, little mage?”

  
  


The mage was out of breath, hair mussed and lips swollen as he looked up at Hyungwon in astonishment. "I don't--" he searched for the right word, if there even was a word. "...Good?" he ventured, hoping that was the right answer.

  
  


The incubus chuckled. “There is no right answer, Kihyun. Feelings are very subjective. It’s alright if you didn’t enjoy it.”

  
  


"I don't know the words for it," the mage admitted, but his body language - his fingers still clinging tight to the incubus's shoulders and his reluctance to pull away showed he clearly didn't hate the experience.

  
  


“Didn’t you do this with Hoseok?” Hyungwon asked curiously, reaching up to run fingers gently through the mage’s hair and along his jawline oh-so-slowly.

  
  


"Ten years is a long time." Kihyun's eyes half closed while he nuzzled into the touch on instinct. "Time plus many, many emotion blocking spells after you showed up the last time makes you forget."

  
  


“Oh, little mage…” Hyungwon sighed fondly, taking a step closer and leaning down to murmur in the other’s ear. “Would you like to remember again?”

  
  


"Please." The word was whispered before Kihyun's conscious mind could remind him of an archmage's commitment to celibacy.

  
  


Hyungwon reached down, taking the other man’s hand gently before he hesitated. “I...Kihyun, I may need to feed a little if we do this. I promise I won’t take very much and I would never hurt you. If you don’t wish me to do so then I will try my best to refrain.” The incubus had never warned a partner before but it seemed important now.

  
  


"You're not a vampire." A tiny hint of mischievousness made its way into Kihyun's voice. "But I don't think I'd mind a few nibbles on my neck."

  
  


“Oh, I do more than nibble,” Hyungwon teased in turn. “But I promise you’ll enjoy it.” He nodded in the direction of the stairway. “Your room?”

  
  


"In seriousness, I don't mind if you feed from me. I know you won't hurt me...I suppose that's trust," Kihyun murmured, finally putting pieces together. He squeezed Hyungwon's hand and led the way to his bare room, pausing at the door to throw up a silencing barrier - the last thing he needed was the knowing smirks.

  
  


“They’d just be happy for you, you know,” the incubus said softly as he looked around the grey, nondescript room. “Oh, this won’t do…” And with that the room was soon awash in the warmth of a myriad of candles and the scent of fresh jasmine.

  
  


"They can be happy when they're told properly - I knew him before he was an incubus, and I know what he likes to do." Wonho's teasing was always playful, but Kihyun wanted his re-initiation into touch and emotion to be more private. He took in a deep breath, jasmine a welcome contrast to sterility. "...I always thought an incubus didn't really care about their surroundings."

  
  


Hyungwon shrugged. “I guess I’m not a very proper incubus then.” He closed his eyes, willing his illusion to remain in place. He didn’t want Kihyun to be alarmed. Changkyun wasn’t but this was a very different situation.

 

"I guess I'm learning that what's proper isn't always what's good." He liked the way Hyungwon's skin seemed to pulse with magic, and even though his powers had faded, he could sense the strain of a failing illusion. "Your form isn't going to scare me."

  
  


“Are you sure? I want you to be comfortable.”

  
  


"You're no monster." Kihyun took a deep breath while he worded his thoughts. "And...it's easier to find the base of your horns if I can see them."

  
  


“The base of my horns…” Hyungwon repeated, his eyes widening and any pretense of color other than gold disappearing. “You heard that?”

  
  


"...I don't sleep very well," Kihyun admitted, sounding slightly guilty. Still, something struck him, and he tentatively put his hand to the demon's cheek. "...You have really beautiful eyes. Gold's my favorite color."

 

The incubus’ cheeks shifted from pale to rosy for a moment before settling into the warm gold of its natural hue as his illusion faded away. “Then it probably isn’t bad that I look like this, huh?”

 

Kihyun's little gasp of surprise turned into a faint smile as he reached up to gently touch one of his horns. "I didn't know demons could blush...and I like that," he admitted. "All the gold is dazzling."

  
  


“It isn’t very subtle,” Hyungwon murmured, both surprised and secretly pleased by Kihyun’s comment. “Gold isn’t…..well, it isn’t common for incubi."

 

"What is?" Kihyun slowly traced the curve of his horns, his fingers finally landing at the base of them - he had a sudden curiosity about just how sensitive that was.

 

Hyungwon’s eyes slowly lidded closed and he sighed. “Shades of red and violet - the colors of desire and passion - tend to be the most common. Some incubi are so pale they look akin to ghosts. Metallics are not the norm.”

 

"I think it suits you," Kihyun murmured, his fingers experimentally teasing through Hyungwon's hair. "Most other incubi would have either given up or killed me by now."

  
  


“I’m sure you have realized that I am not the epitome of an incubus. Not quite full incubus, not quite human. I’m caught between worlds. It is not easy, nor is it simple.”

 

"....You're like me," the mage realized, his voice quiet. "Not fitting into the old or new magic worlds."

  
  


The incubus opened his eyes and looked at Kihyun, his gaze intense. “Perhaps you are right.”

  
  


"My family disowned me for falling in love," Kihyun admitted, the words painful. "And after the incident, I tried so hard to get back because I couldn't understand any of this. And now.." he gestured towards his normally-bare room, although he felt it to be much better with the candles - "-Now I'm back here, with you."

  
  


The candles gave off a warm glow, the color reflected in Hyungwon’s skin. “Is it a bad thing to be here with me, little mage? No, not little mage - Kihyun.”

  
  


Kihyun exhaled slowly, another small smile coming across his face. "It's not a bad thing at all...Hyungwon."

  
  


The incubus reached up, long fingers caressing Kihyun’s cheek as he leaned forward. “Are you interested in living again? Letting yourself feel?”

 

"...It's going to be a long road, you know," Kihyun warned, but still nuzzled into those teasing fingers. "I have a habit of screwing everything up."

  
  


“It isn’t like I don’t have time…” Hyungwon said with a quirk of his lips, then leaned closer to let them brush the mage’s, light and gentle.

  
  


Kihyun sighed happily, allowing himself to slowly let go and enjoy even the lightest kisses. "...If you want to stick around, that is."

  
  


Hyungwon chuckled, reaching down to pull the smaller man closer. “Remember, I’m not going anywhere…”

  
  


"Then I should thank my lucky stars that he never did like reporting in..." Kihyun suddenly surged forward, knocking Hyungwon back on the bed and neatly landing on top.

  
  


Hyungwon grunted in surprise as his back made contact with the bed, quickly followed by Kihyun’s slight weight on top of him. “Now, I didn’t expect you to be _that_  eager,” he added with a chuckle.

  
  


Kihyun laughed, surprising himself with the sound. Just how long had it been? He slowly propped himself up on his arms, merely wanting to admire the view below him. "He didn't tell you that I was the horny one?"

  
  


“No, Hoseok didn’t….and we know how horny he is…”

  
  


"We spent a _lot_   of time naked," Kihyun admitted. "Perhaps being an incubus was a good career path for him."

  
  


“Changkyunnie is definitely going to reap the benefit of that,” Hyungwon said with a smirk.

  
  


Kihyun slowly rolled over to his side, intently studying the demon's face. "Somehow I have a feeling that you aren't so innocent yourself..."

 

“The only thing Innocent and Incubus share in common is the letter I,” Hyungwon said with an arch of his eyebrow and a grin.

  
  


"So even though I'm much more rusty than Changkyun..." Kihyun ventured.

  
  


The grin spread even further. “It’s like riding a bike….you never forget,” he purred. 

  
  


The mage froze. "...I've never ridden a bike in my life."

  
  


“Then that is something else we’ll have to teach you…”

  
  


"As long as that has nothing to do with remembering," Kihyun ventured, the metaphor flying over his head. "...I've also heard that a true deep feeding for an incubus is quite the intimate experience."

  
  


“I have never been fed on by an incubus so I cannot tell you whether that is true but it is very pleasurable from my standpoint. A true deep feeding is a sharing of the soul….it isn’t a mere taking.”

 

Kihyun edged closer again to Hyungwon, the mage suddenly needing more contact. "...I have a feeling that you'd be more gentle than your cohort. I'm not talking about Hoseok, I'm talking about Nybbas."

 

The incubus’ fingers slowly caressed Kihyun’s side, leaning closer to press his lips against the other’s cheek, then sliding slowly down his neck. “I would never be like him…”

 

Kihyun's breath caught as he stretched out his neck, faintly remember how much he enjoyed feeling his skin tingle. "...Then what would you be like?"

 

Hyungwon smiled against Kihyun’s smooth skin, kisses pressing against his neck and collarbone.. “I would be slow….and lingering….and I would savor the sounds coming from your lips because of me.”

  
  


The mage's eyes closed, his breath coming in soft gasps and somewhat hesitant, quiet moans. This was real, this was _Hyungwon's_   lips sliding over his neck, not some shadow he had imagined to keep himself company--and that made things even better. "And when I beg for more?"

 

Hyungwon chuckled lowly, tongue darting out to lick the other’s collarbone. “I’m a very generous lover, Kihyun. I would be pleased to give you more…”

  
  


"Oh gods..." Kihyun half-moaned, half-whined, immediately regretting not having begged to be taken away years ago. He pulled away for a moment and carefully unbuttoned and shrugged off his shirt. The man's frame was a bit too thin, a bit too pale, which made the burns from spell accidents and deep claw marks only stand out more.

  
  


“Hmmm….even more for me,” Hyungwon purred as he took in the other’s slim frame. Yes, Kihyun was thin and scarred but the incubus saw the glow inside, the energy that went beyond the mage’s physical state. “So lovely….” he continued, reaching over to tease the other’s nipple with his fingers.

  
  


Another loud cry came from Kihyun, the mage suddenly losing concentration and dropping the silence barrier he had placed earlier. His nipple nearly instantly tightened; Kihyun was slightly embarrassed at just how much he sorely missed pleasure. "...Do I get to see more for me?"

  
  


The incubus pulled back, arching an eyebrow as he reached up to unbutton his shirt, golden eyes gleaming. “Would you like to? You can see anything you’d like.”

 

Kihyun reached out, touching the small amount of bared skin. "I want to see if you're that gold everywhere else."

  
  


Hyungwon’s shirt slipped off his shoulders, revealing that yes, his skin was golden everywhere, the shade slightly varying in places but still gleaming in the candlelight. “No secrets here…”

  
  


"It's not fair that you're so damned attractive, both with and without the illusion spell," Kihyun complained good-naturedly. He drew close again, blindly tracing the sharp lines and angles of his chest.

  
  


“I have my flaws, Kihyun,” Hyungwon murmured, sighing as the mage’s fingers lightly glided along his bare, warm skin. He may have been half human, but Hyungwon’s body bore the innate warmth of a full-blooded incubus.

  
  


"That's true," Kihyun agreed before tilting his head up for a few more deep kisses. "You are far too intoxicating, for one."

  
  


The incubus pulled Kihyun closer until their chests were mere centimeters apart, the kisses growing deeper and more intense as he reached back to squeeze the mage’s ass.

  
  


Kihyun smirked into their kisses - and grasped Hyungwon's hand, guiding it into his pants to grab his bare skin. "If you're going to grab my ass, grab it." He tried to look annoyed, but pushed into the incubus's hand instead.

  
  


“Then get out of those so I have easier access, beautiful,” the incubus purred, giving Kihyun’s backside a smack

  
  


.He fumbled a bit with the button on his slacks, taking his time just to further tease Hyungwon. "Flaw number two, such a smooth talker." He slowly shed both his slacks and his boxers, leaving him nude and surprisingly not shy in front of the incubus. "...I always wondered if the rumors about incubi cock were true."

  
  


Hyungwon looked at the other in appreciation of both his body and his confidence. “You have quite a mouth on you - hopefully you’ll put it to good use.” The incubus peeled off his own tight trousers, revealing more of that golden skin and much more. 

  
  
  


Kihyun's eyes slowly lowered down the incubus's body, that seemingly impossible golden skin that seemed to stretch on forever. Still, he cautioned himself to slow down, they had time and there was still so much to actually explore. He pressed his lips to Hyungwon's chest, the mage slowly trailing kisses down his long torso. He paused at the base of his cock - and instead continued downward, teasing his thighs with more kisses and licks.

  
  


“Tease…” Hyungwon murmured, still smiling as he reached down to run fingers through the mage’s silky hair. “So pretty..”

  
  
  


"What, you wanted me to suck?" Kihyun chuckled, the mage pausing. "...I've been called many things, but never pretty."

  
  


"Then those who you have been with are blind...."

  
  


"Only one."

  
  


"Hoseok and I are going to have to have a talk."

  
  


"I'll have to sit out on that one." Kihyun gave Hyungwon's cock a thorough licking - the myths had _definitely_  been right about the size. "I've got this to attend to, after all."

  
  


The incubus groaned. "Don't let me stop you.....please continue."

  
  


"Been too long?" Kihyun smiled wickedly - and closed his mouth around what he could of an impossibly thick erection.

  
  


"Long enough, you cheeky human," Hyungwon growled out, then moaned as Kihyun's lips surrounded his cock.

  
  


Kihyun was rusty, but he did remember the basics and his favorite tricks. His tongue fluttered along the tip of his cock before sliding down the back for some more much-needed attention. There was no way he could fit the entire thing - for now, at least - so he constantly moved so as not to neglect any centimeter of his skin.

  
  


Long, tapered fingers restlessly threaded through Kihyun's hair, gently guiding the other's lips along his cock. "So good...." he moaned.

  
  


"Even your cock is perfect," Kihyun moaned, the mage clearly taking enjoyment in pleasing the incubus. He took a deep breath and plunged as far down as he could on his cock, trying to take him all the way in.

  
  


"You don't have to...." Hyungwon murmured, feeling himself rocking forward, knees growing weak.

  
  


Kihyun locked eyes with Hyungwon, quietly resolving to at least try. His hand wrapped firmly around the rest of his cock, stroking what he couldn't fit.

  
  


"Too soon....." the incubus groaned out, quickly nearing the edge no matter how hard he tried to hold back.

  
  


The mage didn't let up; seeing Hyungwon's face contort in pure pleasure only served to make him harder and far more eager to make him come.

  
  


And with a cry, Hyungwon did, trying to warn the other but unable as pleasure overwhelmed him.

  
  


Kihyun swallowed all that he could, careful to lick up stray droplets with gentle swipes. He smiled up at Hyungwon and joined him again, seemingly content.

  
  


"You didn't have to do that," the incubus scolded, cleaning the corner of Kihyun's mouth with his thumb then kissing the other man deeply and tasting himself in the kiss.

  
  


"Hey, you wanted to see what I could put my mouth to - and I wanted to, Hyungwon," Kihyun murmured. "I wanted to make you happy."

  
  


"Thank you....and now how do I make you happy?"

  
  


"I..." Kihyun took a deep breath, his dark eyes meeting the demon's golden ones. "...You won't laugh?"

  
  


Golden eyes gentled as he looked at the other. "I promise I will not laugh."

  
  


"I...I just want you," he admitted. "...If you really had stolen me away ten years ago, I wouldn't have complained one bit."

  
  


"I couldn't do that to you, Kihyun. You were so young - and it wasn't me you wanted."

  
  


"I just wanted him to be happy - and he is, with Changkyun. I'm allowed to be happy too, right?"

  
  


"Of course you are - you deserve to be happy."

  
  


"Then that's what I want, Hyungwon. Just you."

 

The incubus smiled gently. "For what it's worth you have me...."

  
  


Kihyun captured a lock of Hyungwon's hair in his fingers, twisting it between them. "...And if you feed, it's okay."

  
  


"I won't take too much. I promise...." Hyungwon murmured, pulling the other in for a deep kiss. So deep....even deeper than before.

  
  


"Take what you need," Kihyun insisted. His eyes closed as he eagerly accepted the kiss and pulled his body flush to the incubus. He was thrumming with energy, he could feel it brimming under his skin, a tantalizing treat for any demon.

  
  


Hyungwon moaned, fingers slipping down to stroke the other's erection. The desire and energy coming from Kihyun was intoxicating...

  
  


"Take," Kihyun whispered again, nearly swallowed by a moan as his neglected erection was finally touched. His hands gripped Hyungwon's firm rear, the mage insistently grinding into the other.

  
  


The incubus took in a deep breath, energies swirling around his lean frame and encompassing Kihyun's as well. His fingers deftly stroked Kihyun, feeding on the growing pleasure that was building and seeping from the mage. "So good," he groaned.

  
  


"I'm gonna-" Kihyun warned, or at least tried to when his pleasure hit a crescendo. He felt as if he wouldn't stop, his voice growing hoarse from the cries of _more_ , _please_ , _don't stop_.  His knuckles turned white with the force of his grip on the incubus, refusing to let go until his orgasm subsided.

  
  


Hyungwon gently laid the human back on the bed, then reached up to lick his fingers, humming to himself in pleasure. "Finger licking good - isn't that what humans used to say?"

  
  


"Your energy..." Kihyun breathed out, a sweet smile crossing his face as he stared up at the ceiling. "...I can feel it."

  
  


The incubus chuckled softly. "We don't always just take, pretty one...."

  
  


"I'm glad you took your fill...and then some." Kihyun reached out for Hyungwon's hand to pull him back onto the bed.

  
  


The incubus settled back down on the bed beside Kihyun, the hue of his golden skin even more intense after a healthy feeding.

  
  


"And maybe not today, but I'm going to want to have sex with you," Kihyun admitted, unashamed.

 

:

Hyungwon looked over at the other with a catlike smile. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing. Of course we'll have sex...you think I'd refuse?"

 

Kihyun winked. "Did he tell you I like both sides?"

  
  


"I didn't ask.....you'll just have to surprise me."

  
  


"And I have a feeling that you're full of surprises."

 

"Surprises make life interesting," Hyungwon said with a smile.

 

Kihyun laughed and propped himself back on top of Hyungwon, content to spend the rest of the early morning with plenty of lazy kisses and touches. The other two weren't awake yet, after all...and then, he resolved, Changkyun would know the truth.

  
  


Kihyun’s normal alarm rang a few hours later (much to his annoyance, as he hadn’t slept so well in ages – not that he had done much sleeping.) As much as he had wanted to keep it all a secret, he had promised  that it would all be explained – and Changkyun did deserve answers.

 

Not that he would like them very much.

 

He slipped a key into his pocket and took a deep breath, waiting to hear telltale signs that Changkyun was awake and dressed before making his way downstairs. He knew the incubus’ habits of wanting sex at every opportunity did not stop at waking up, and he was not about to explain while those two were still pantsless.

  
  


Hyungwon groaned as he stretched out in bed, the space where Kihyun had previously been quickly cooling. “Up so soon?” he murmured, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at the human mage, a knowing look crossing his face as he noticed the worry in Kihyun’s eyes. “Ah, it’s Truth Day, isn’t it?”

  
  


"We just decided that last night, but I almost forgot myself," Kihyun admitted. "I could use the moral support."

  
  


“You know I’m not going anywhere, Kihyun,” the incubus said gently, reaching over to grasp the archmage’s hand. “It’s going to be okay, you know.”

  
  


Kihyun suddenly sat back down on the bed and leaned against Hyungwon for support. "Who likes hearing 'by the way, I screwed and then killed your boyfriend?' I know you're going to say again that I didn't kill him and he would have done it anyway, but I put the damned idea in his head."

  
  


Hyungwon’s arm wrapped around the human securely as he rested his chin on Kihyun’s shoulder. “And he made the decision. Personal responsibility, Kihyun. Hoseok isn’t stupid - he knew the risks - and he knew he didn’t have to do it. He chose to. The weight is on him, not you. Just ask him - he doesn’t blame you at all.”

  
  


Kihyun's eyes closed as the demon's warmth slowly relaxed him. "He doesn't have to blame me for me to blame myself for it. I know he doesn't, that's what you both told me last night. I just...I keep running through it in my head, trying to think of a better ward or bind or something to mask him enough that he could have been deemed pure enough..."

  
  


Hyungwon snorted. “Pure enough? No one is pure enough for an angel. They are stuck up bastards who think too highly of themselves. There’s a reason no one wants to have anything to do with them. Besides, they are boring as fuck at parties.” He turned his head and kissed Kihyun’s neck. “And if Hoseok hadn’t been turned he wouldn’t have met Changkyunnie - and I wouldn’t have met you. Things happen for a reason….”

  
  


"Apparently they still get invited to your parties." Kinhyun chuckled, the sound surprising himself. He feigned a sigh of exasperation, even as he smiled with the ever-pleasant touch of Hyungwon's lips. "I _suppose_  meeting you was a good thing..." he teased.

  
  


“It doesn’t hurt to be polite…” the incubus muttered, then rolled his eyes. “I’m _so_  glad you approve…” he added, tongue darting out to lick Kihyun’s collarbone.

  
  


Kihyun's eyes slid shut as he fumbled with his shirt, unbuttoning it to give Hyungwon more access to his skin. His moan was quiet and sweet, the contact gladly welcomed. "I'm approving of a lot of things you do."

  
  


Hyungwon pulled back, giving the human a knowing glance and a low, lazy smile. “Not so fast, gorgeous. Truth Day first…..Have Fun With Hyungwon Day comes after that. You need to get this out of the way, Kihyun.”

  
  


"That's mean," Kihyun complained, but buttoned his shirt back up. "Do I at least get to let Changkyun run the store for Have Fun with Hyungwon Day?"

  
  


“Kid should be able to handle it - as long as Hoseokkie doesn’t get too handsy,” Hyungwon mused. “Now, the sooner you get going on Truth Day, the sooner you get Have Fun With Hyungwon Day…..or, even better, Have Fun With Hyungwon Without Pants Day.”

  
  


"We are never getting Have Fun With Hyungwon Without Pants Day," Kihyun griped, without heat in it. Still, he took a deep breath and stood up. "So...want to put on your own pants for Truth Day?"

  
  


“I suppose I can do that….for moral support, of course.” The tall incubus stood as well, pulling Kihyun in for a kiss. “I wouldn’t let you do this alone, you know,” he said gently.

 

"Thank you," Kihyun whispered into his lips. He didn't push away, didn't refuse the help - something about Hyungwon was stirring his human nature again.

 

"Anytime," Hyungwon replied. "Besides, you know what goes great with Have Fun With Hyungwon Without Pants Day? Have Fun with Kihyun Without Pants Week."

 

"Oh god," Kihyun groaned, but refrained from pushing the demon back onto the bed. "...Let's get this started before I get naked again."

 

Hyungwon pulled on his own trousers, not bothering to hide behind an illusion. He figured Changkyun was used to his own incubus' natural form by now.

 

"And a shirt," Kihyun reminded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Otherwise I won't be able to concentrate."

 

Hyungwon gave a mock sigh. "Fine....just this once, I suppose. You are asking for an awful lot, you know."

 

"Well since you want to stay around. helping in the shop does require a shirt.."

 

"Got it, boss," Hyungwon replied, giving the archmage a salute and reaching for his shirt.

 

Kihyun waited at the door of his bedroom, his hand unsteady on the knob. "....Ready to go downstairs?"

 

Fully dressed, Hyungwon stepped up to the archmage, fingers resting lightly at the small of Kihyun's back. "I'm ready - let's do this."

 

Kihyun took a deep breath and nodded before pushing the door open and leading the way down - he could hear the puttering downstairs of both Changkyun and his incubus.

 

Changkyun set a cup of coffee down in front of Wonho. "There, happy? I swear, you are totally capable of getting it yourself."

 

"It's better when you make it," Wonho complained, but leaned over and stole a kiss from Changkyun. "Thank you, Channie."

 

The grumpy look on the young mage's face softened. "You're welcome, I suppose."

  
  


"So another day at the shop?" Wonho started asking, but then his voice faded as he heard the footsteps. "...Looks like the lovebirds are awake."

 

Changkyun looked up over his shoulder. "Lovebirds? Lovebirds aren't that loud...." he said with a grin.

 

Wonho laughed. "I could hear that silence barrier cracking over your moaning last night. But it's good. Hyungwon's the most gentle and caring person I know who isn't Channie. He's good for Ki."

 

"He seems pretty cool....not like what incubi are supposed to be. Of course, neither are you."

  
  


"He's half-human, and of course I'm a cursed human. We're allowed to be not quite what's expected."

 

"Well, I guess I like the unexpected then," Changkyun said with a grin and shrug.

 

:

"Good morning?" Kihyun's hesitant voice came from the stairs. "Am I interrupting?"

  
  


"Just Wonho being a whiny baby and not getting his coffee by himself. You know, like every morning," Changkyun replied, pulling down another cup....and another when he saw Hyungwon give a lazy wave. "Want some?"

  
  


"I could use some," Kihyun agreed - normally he preferred his tea, but coffee would help steady his nerves. "I could probably create a bind between you two so you could compell him to get his own coffee."

 

:

"But Channie's so good at making it," Wonho whined, but then grinned as soon as he saw his hyung. "So you guys had fun."

  
  


Changkyun shrugged. "It's okay. He doesn't know it yet but he's making dinner tonight."

  
  


Hyungwon nodded in satisfaction. "That we did."

  
  


"Good, it's one less thing that we have to do," the archmage agreed. He took a seat, still uneasy.

  
  


"Told you that you were right about him, Hyung-hyung." Wonho's grin was smug.

  
  


Changkyun's smile faded as he passed the archmage his coffee. "Is something wrong, hyung?"

  
  


Hyungwon nodded again. "I was.....and it's time, Hoseok."

  
  


"We...we promised we'd tell you the truth this morning, didn't we?" Kihyun asked quietly. "Where do you want us to start?" His fingers curled around the mug, something to hold onto while he got to the more difficult parts.

  
  


"...Let's start by figuring out what Channie already knows," Wonho gently suggested. "Channie, what's the name of the scholarship you applied for?"

 

:

Changkyun perched on his chair, looking at the three other men in confusion. "The scholarship? Um.....let me think. Oh, yeah...the Shin Hoseok Memorial Scholarship."

  
  


"Shin Hoseok was tall - well, taller than me, smart, funny - and he put up with me and my lack of knowledge about how the world works," Kihyun said quietly, staring into his cup. "He was my lover, first and only one."

  
  


"Sound like he was pretty special," Changkyun murmured, then paused, turning to Hyungwon - and the incubus could see the wheels turning on the young mage's face. "Um....Hyungwon-hyung? What did you just call Wonho?"

  
  


Bingo. Kid didn't let him down. "Hoseok," he said with a gentle smile.

  
  


"I've told you parts of the story, but it was less about trying to be secretive to you and more about protecting Kihyun," Wonho explained. "My human name is Shin Hoseok. Hyungwon told me that I had to take on another as an incubus to keep my lives separate - but he still calls me Hoseok."

 

:Kihyun nodded. "After I had been declared an archmage, Hoseok asked me for tips on how to become one himself. I told him it took an incredible amount of magic, he'd have to summon an angel or something. And he did. Unfortunately, it was successful."

  
  


"Too successful," Hyungwon continued. "Angels are assholes and the one Hoseok summoned was assholier than most. I managed to step in and convince him not to kill Hoseok but to curse him - and he cursed him to became an incubus, with all the powers and weaknesses that entails. I've been his mentor ever since."

  
  


Hoseok nodded. "Well, Kihyun definitely helped there. He negotiated enough to delay while you managed to notice what was going on and finish off the job. And I don't mind being an incubus, it's a hell of a lot better than being dead--but of course I missed Ki."

  
  


"--And so I'd summon and summon and summon some more, and each time I'd end up with Hyungwon coming," Kihyun murmured. "He finally told me to stop, Hoseok wasn't coming back. He couldn't."

  
  


"What's done is done," Hyungwon murmured. "It isn't a bad life, really. I hated seeing Kihyun driving himself mad trying to bring Hoseok back."

  
  


Changkyun remained silent for several moments before he spoke. "So you and Kihyun-hyung were lovers," he asked Wonho. "Why didn't you guys tell me before?"

  
  


“I wanted to protect Ki, like I said," Wonho explained. "I could see how much it hurt him that I was around, and that I was falling in love with you. He doesn't like talking about feelings or the past very much."

  
  


"But it was okay to keep me in the dark," Changkyun murmured, pushing his coffee away. "It's okay....I get it."

  
  


"I was afraid you'd bring it up with Ki," the incubus continued. "And...well fuck, you've seen how he shuts down. I told you that I still loved him. That means that I don't want to cause him more harm than what he was doing to himself."

  
  


“I’m glad you feel so protective of Kihyun, hyung.” The younger mage pushed back his chair and stood. “I should probably go get some work done,” he murmured, careful not to look at any of the others in the room.

  
  


Kihyun's shoulders slumped. "I told you this was a bad idea," he muttered to Hyungwon.

  
  


Hyungwon shook his head and pointed at Changkyun. "You, kiddo....sit. These two need to apologize - and to make you understand that they are NOT in love with each other anymore. "

  
  


Strangely enough, Changkyun obeyed the incubus, returning to his seat and not looking up at the others.

:

"There was that, too," Wonho grudgingly admitted. "I still love Ki, Channie, but that's because I care about him. It's you who I love romantically, and I'm sorry for leading you to think that was going to happen."

 

"But not sorry that you didn't tell me the truth?" Changkyun asked quietly. "I would have been really confused but I would have tried to understand. Is there anything else anyone is hiding from me?"

 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth earlier, but I'm trying to make that up to you right now. I wasn't exactly a fantastic human, either."

 

“I’ve been lied to all my life, Wonho - or should I call you Hoseok now? It’s really hard for me to trust people and you and Kihyun-hyung are the first I’ve trusted so much in a very long time. Can you tell me you aren’t going to hide something this big again?”

 

"You can call me whatever feels right to you, Channie...and I promise. No secrets this big."

 

The youngest turned to Kihyun. "And you, hyung? I'm sorry you are hurting but please.....don't do this to me again."

 

Kihyun paused. "...I can't promise that I'll tell you all of my secrets."

  
  


Changkyun sighed. “Not what I’m expecting or asking for, hyung. Just keep me in the loop when stuff involves me, you know?”

 

"...I can do that," Kihyun said after a long pause. "...I'm still learning."

 

“Aren’t we all?” Changkyun replied, surprisingly calm once everything sunk in. 

  
  


"...Right." Kihyun produced the key he had pocketed onto the counter. "I figured you saw me locking a drawer in your room with this. There are...well, that drawer's filled with two things. Spell drafts to unbind Hoseok from the underworld and a lot of love letters. I didn't want them to be found, but since you wanted to know about stuff involving you..."

  
  


“The love letters are between you and Wonho….or Hoseok….or whatever. Maybe I’ll just call him Bob from now on. That’s personal and none of my business.” He looked down at the key. “And the spells - aren’t those dangerous? You could have been hurt, Kihyun.”

  
  


Kihyun slowly rolled up his sleeves and spread his palms, showing the self-inflicted gashes across them and the deep claw marks on his arms. "I was going to stop at nothing to bring Hoseok back, and that included going over Hyungwon's head. I didn't care about being hurt. Still don't."

 

Hyungwon leaned down, placing long fingers over those healed scars. “Now you have someone who does - and who isn’t going to let you that again, you stubborn mage.”

  
  


The archmage's fingers gently closed over the golden ones in his palm. "Now I have no reason to summon more demons, do I?"

  
  


“Nope, you have your own personal incubus,” Hyungwon said with a grin. “And I actually know how to make coffee…”

  
  


"Are you worried about me running back to him?" Wonho asked quietly.

  
  


“I figure you would have already if you were planning on it,” Changkyun said simply, then his lips curled into a smirk. “Besides, why would Kihyun-hyung go back to silver when he has gold?” He looked over at the older incubus. “Good look on you too, Hyungwon-hyung. You kind of look like one of those old movie awards they gave out a long time ago. What did they call it - an Oscar?”

  
  


“Hey!” Hyungwon said with a scowl, although the humor in his eyes was undeniable. “Keep your human in check, Hoseokkie. He’s getting cheeky.”

  
  


"Hey, he insulted me, too!" Wonho replied with a laugh. "And he wants to call me Bob! I think this one can't be kept in check, no matter what." He pulled Changkyun into a tight hug, his smile bright. "And he's right, hyung...you do look like an Oscar."

  
  


"...What's that?" Kihyun ventured. "Does that have to do with the other things you talked about, like comics and man-spiders?"

  
  


“Something like that,” Hyungwon said with a lazy grin, urging Kihyun to his feet, the archmage’s hand securely in his own. “Let’s discuss that when we get back upstairs. After all, we’ll have plenty of time since the it’s the start of Have Fun With Kihyun Without Pants Week…”

  
  


Kihyun took his coffee with him (why waste great coffee?) "Oh, that's right. You two are in charge of the shop this week. I'm...on vacation."

  
  


“We’ll take good care of it, hyung,” Changkyun said with a smile and a nod, then turned to Wonho. “Won’t we…..Bob?”

  
  


Wonho snorted with laughter. "Do I get a Bob nametag for the week?"

  
  


“If you are good.”

  
  


Allright, all right," Wonho agreed gamely. "Let's finish this and go open up the shop, Channie. We can show Ki that my additions to the website are the best additions.."

  
  


"Links to porn on a bookshop website are not what I would consider best additions....Bob."

  
  


"Hey, I added lovely graphics and great text...and sometimes I slip in a little porn." He grinned and headed back to the counter to finish off his coffee. "Think Hyunnie's gonna mind if we get a little busy in the Old Arcana No One Cares About section?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for this one. Probably not what people expected but we never said we were predictable. There is more to this world, including a whole background story with VIXX (who were the reason this world was even created in the first place!) and some EXO/BTS crossover stuff with a completely unexpected pairing. Not sure if we are going to post any of that but if anyone is interested let us know. Thanks so much for the comments and we really hope you enjoyed.


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